#billy hopper

Billy: just let me suck it omggggg Steve: no billy we can't there's still 47 days left

Billy: I'M A FUCKING GROWN UP JUST FUCK MEEEEEE

Steve: 46 days 59 minutes 35 seconds

Billy: I told you I'M NOT A CHILD! I'M NEARLY 18!

“I can’t have you sneaking around, kid,” With Billy Hopper tries to not raise his voice often as possible. Billy groans and moans at this. “I know this is what you kids like to do but I can’t have that. What if something happens? What if something happens to you kid and I don’t know where you are?” Oh these thoughts sent Hopper spiraling.

“Nothing is going to happen!” Before Billy can speak up again:

“You’re grounded. Both of you.”

The look on their faces Hopper would have laughed if he wasn’t damn serious and filled with worry about this. “You for sneaking out and you for lying to me.” He points at them respectively. “For 2 weeks!” This sent Billy and El into a frenzy but Hopper wasn’t budging.

“Go to your rooms and sleep! This discussion is over.” El and Billy pout and huff.

“But dad!” El tries with big eyes and Jim shakes his head pointing to their bedrooms.

“This is so unfair, dad!”

Billy’s voice echos in Jim’s head as the two left for their rooms. The door slam didn’t go unnoticed but Jim was too busy rushing to the phone. He dialed in the number and put it to his ear and they picked up:

“Joyce you won’t believe this!”

“Hopper?” Joyce tired voice came through.

“El and Billy called me dad.” Jim’s grin was huge. Joyce was gasping and then squealing, because she knew how much this meant for him. How much the two meant for him. She asked him how that happened. “After I grounded them,” he sighed happily and Joyce laughed.

“What did they do?” She asked curiously.

“Billy was sneaking out with Harrington and I caught him. El knew about it for weeks. I think they had made a deal.” This time he grumbled and Joyce chuckled lightly. “These kids.” He grumbled but there was a smile on his lips. The next day two grumpy kids came out of their room to apologize for sneaking out and lying. Hopper accepted this and they quickly started to beg that they wouldn’t be grounded for two weeks. El had plans with Mike and Max. Billy had plans with Steve and Max.

♥ I. LOVE. THIS. SO. MUCH. ♥

Ohmydear okay okay so i’m imagining Billy like, basically never talking about games. He’ll say he’ll be back late some nights and when Hop asks he’ll just cite: “Basketball.”

And that’s it. Just says it casually and nonchalantly and then leaves w/ his duffel.

 And Hop was totally in some kind of sport in high school. Like football or something. He knows they have games and stuff it's just… Billy never mentions them and Hop doesn't really wanna step on toes or anything. He's still learning and he doesn't wanna suffocate the boy.

Except….

One week Billy seems extra tired and stressed and bratty. He's rushing out of the house after grabbing an apple and Hop calls after him: "where's the fire, kid?"

Billy takes the apple out of his mouth.

"I've got extra practice all this week. There’s a major game this Friday and coach said there might be a scout and….. Yeah." Billy shrugs and runs out the door.

But Billy keeps talking about this game. Comes home tired as all hell and flops on the couch and rants for a good half hour about it. About how the coach has been pushing them so hard and it’s such a major game and he keeps telling them the team can’t screw it up. Or in the morning he’ll shovel cereal into his face and speak w/ his mouth full about how they need to destroy this team on Friday bc they’re their biggest rivals and “What’s gonna happen if this scout notices me? I kinda hope he notices me. Should I hope he notices me?”

And so it takes Hop until about Wednesday morning before he decides they need to go. Billy has never told him when games were but he won’t stop talking about this one, won’t stop freaking out about it, won’t stop getting genuinely excited about it, hopping around after he comes home from practice one day pretending like he’s still playing basketball and then riling himself up.

So when Billy leaves the cabin for school on Wednesday, Hop turns to El and says: “Do you want to go to the basketball game this Friday?”

El tilts her head.

“What basketball game?”

“Billy’s.”

“They let us go?!” She asks, eyes wide with excitement.

“Yeah, we should go support him.”

She nods her head excitedly.

And so when Billy is out late for practices, Hop comes home w/ a posterboard and some paint and they sit at the table and paint a little sign for Billy (they have to wait till he gets home and passes out to go digging through his gym bag to figure out what number he is).

And so when Billy sends them both a farewell before heading off to the game, Hop and El wait a few minutes before Hop breaks out the face paint, paints little whiskers on El’s cheeks, lets El paint little paw prints on his own, and then grab their poster and jump into the car and head out for the gym.

And when they get there, a little early to find a seat, they recognize a couple of familiar faces scanning the bleachers.

“I cannot believe you dragged me out to a basketball game.” Robin’s voice drawls, arms crossed but slight fear in her eyes bc wow too many people.

“C’mon, Billy’s been talking about it all week I had to come, he never talks about games. And I couldn’t go alone. Plus you guys are totally friends, whether you admit it or not.” Steve responds, busy searching for a seat.

“I tolerate him for you.”

“You guys gang up on me all the time!”

“I mean, sure, we bond over messing with you, but-” Robin turns her head, irritated with all of these faces looking at her when she sees: “Is that El? Hey!”

And El runs up to Robin to say hi to her and Steve, Hopper walking up behind her and they all 4 find a seat together and if you don’t think they leave a trail of slightly confused and gossipy whispers behind them then you are greatly mistaken bc basically the whole gym has broken out into ‘Hey, isn’t that Chief Hopper? What’s he doing here?’ ‘I think he’s Hargrove’s foster dad or something.’ ‘I heard he’s actually Billy’s biological dad and Hop finally got custody back.’ ‘Is that THE Steve Harrington? What’s he doing w/ Band Geek Buckley?’ ‘They worked at that ice cream shop before the mall exploded. Now they’re at Family Video.’ ‘Wow, he’s really hit bottom if he’s coming back to school to watch a basketball game w/ the Chief of Police. How fucking weird.’

But the little group of 4 doesn’t (really) notice bc they’re chatting away about how Billy has been so excited and nervous about this game and how there’s a scout here and “D’ya think he might get a scholarship for basketball, Hop?”

And ohmydearmeDUDES imagine they announce the team all excitedly w/ lots of grandeur and lights and the boys running out of a big paper tiger head or something and Billy gets the loudest applause of all bc of fucking course he does, people both love and hate him but he’s the best player on the team and you just… you HAVE to clap for Billy Hargrove. And so Billy isn’t surprised at the cheers he’s getting, it’s the biggest game of the year and everyone is here, except none of his friends ever show up. It’s not Jonathan’s or Nancy’s or Robin’s scene, Carol and Tommy have stopped coming since Tommy got kicked off the team at the beginning of the year, and Billy doesn’t really talk to anyone else. He doesn’t bring up his games to anyone, either, bc he doesn’t wanna sound like he’s needy or something.

So he’s not expecting to see anyone he cares about in the stands. He’s just letting his heart flutter wildly with his nerves as he riles up the crowd and pumps his fists and puts on a show like he’s not scared as all hell for this game when…

When...

When he sees a sign that says: Go Billy! on it w/ little paw prints and his number in the corner.

No one makes signs specifically for him that don’t also include some sort of lewd remark.

So he shifts his eyes down and sees-

Oh my god no way they came.

It’s El, smiling the biggest, brightest, widest smile, little blue whiskers on her face, eyes crinkling up. Next to her is Hop, clapping happily with his eyes so full of pride Billy’s gonna drown. To the other side of El is Robin, clapping a little slower with a smirk that says You better be real damn grateful i’m subjecting myself to this for you.

And then Steve, cheering and whooping and clapping and smiling and he sends Billy a little wink and Billy is melting he’s absolutely falling through the earth bc what the fuck they actually came I didn’t think they would actually come.

His crazy, cocky facade falls and he starts running up to where they’re sitting, a couple rows back from the front, fully ready to tackle them in hugs or something, ask what they’re doing here and why they came and just ohmygod I’m so glad they came I can’t believe they’re here-

When his teammate grabs a hold of the back of his jersey and pulls him back towards the court with a “Where you going, Hargrove? The game’s this way!”

And so Billy shoots the boy an irritated look before looking back towards his family they’re my family my family is here with a wave and a genuine smile and all of the warmth boiling in his heart.

And Billy does GREAT. They destroy the other team and Billy as always is the one they praise the most and everyone is crowding around him and rushing out onto the court to congratulate him but he pushes himself out of the crowd and doesn’t pay attention to anyone because his family is here and El is standing there waving with her sign and asks: “Did you do it?”

Bc she’s still confused on how basketball works (Hop tried to explain the rules to her while Steve tried to explain the rules to Robin and they were both very lost, though El was a lot more interested than Robin was) and Billy scoops down to hug her and say: “Yeah, we did alright.”

And they all laugh and Billy ignores everyone but his family as he goes to grab his bag and they head out, Billy telling them he has to go back to the locker room with his team to get the after game notes from his coach “-but after that we should like… get ice cream or something.”

Hop nods. “Sounds like a plan.”

And so after the coach tells them good job and gives them their final notes on the game, Billy takes a super quick shower and runs back outside and sees Steve standing there, hands in his pockets, leaning against the side of the gym.

Billy smiles wide.

“Congrats out there, Tiger. You really did take my throne, didn’t you?”

“C’mon, I had it before you left.” Billy shoves Steve’s shoulder and they walk.

“You… you did real good out there. Think the scout noticed you?”

Billy shrugs. “I dunno, the coach hasn’t said anything about it yet. He just told us to celebrate this weekend.”

Steve nods, about to say something else when Billy shoves him behind another building where the lights are out and kisses him silly against the wall, the faint sound of the still cheering and chanting team somewhere behind them, the drumline doing cadences into the night as Billy kisses Steve like he’s starved. Always kisses Steve like he’s starved.

“Thanks for coming, Princess.” Billy whispers against Steve’s throat once they’ve pulled away.

“I know it meant a lot to you. Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

And so they meet up with everyone at their respective cars and head out for ice cream together and Hopper says “You did great, son.” over his own cup of ice cream and Billy is trying so hard to stay cool but let me tell you, the boy is beaming over this praise and love and he’s answering all of El’s questions about basketball and he’s helping Robin pick on Steve and it’s heaven.

And now can we all just IMAGINE El saying Max should come along to the next game. And then the next game Max brings Lucas, who brings Dustin who brings Mike who brings Will. And then the NEXT game where Will is like: “You’re his friend too! I know you don’t like sports games but Robin comes so you can come too.” to Jonathan who comes along w/ Nancy and then Hop brings Joyce and Billy has a whole damn SECTION just for his family and friends who are all cheering him on in their own ways and they ALWAYS go out for pizza or ice cream afterwards (Mike and Dustin will say they tag along just for the food after the game and Billy will flick their ears when they say it)

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (I had to look up what a shovel talk was and i feel so dumb but) I 100% feel this in my soul and i’m cackling at it. (also these are basically the same so i’m gonna lump them together if that’s alright! ~♥)

Okay i think we can all agree there’s often a double standard w/ daughters dating vs sons dating but i also think that Hop is just Protective Dad ™. Like, Hop is antisocial, yes, but he has kids again and these kids have been broken and beat down in the past and he has made it his absolute Life. Goal. to protect them from literally anything. Like…. I totally think Hop used to be the kind of dad to say shit like: “Roll them around in the mud as a baby, it’ll help their immune system.” 

But now after Sara (and every shitty thing that has been happening in this town) he’s like: “You have a stomach ache? We’re taking you to the hospital.”

and yeah maybe some people would call it paranoia but to Hop it’s just good parenting, alright???

So anyway, Hop fucking hates when Mike is over w/ El, we all know this, the man was having a borderline breakdown the entire last season over it, but holy shit when Steve comes home with Billy?? OOF.

It’s on a calm and quiet night when Hop and El are in the house eating dinner, not having waited bc Billy told them not to bc he was “gonna be late tonight.” and that confused Hop bc he knows Billy doesn’t have a lot of friends that he doesn’t think are absolute assholes so who is he hanging out with, exactly??

But we all know it’s Steve. Bc Steve and Billy have been hanging out for a while now (they fought monsters together tHEY FOUGHT MONSTERS TOGETHER if i say it enough maybe it’ll become canon) and Hop knows they know each other but Billy never really says where he is when he hangs out w/ him bc Billy is 110% afraid that he’s about to lose this Very Good Thing he has going. Just bc he’s gay. Because Hop doesn’t know and while Hop has given him absolutely NO reason to be scared, that scares Billy the absolute most bc he’s just waiting for it now. Like waiting for the straw that’s gonna break the camel’s back and get him kicked out. It just feels inevitable to him bc all he’s ever known about home is to be afraid of it. To always be on edge and hyper aware.

So Billy was more than a little nervous about taking Steve’s car instead of his own when they went out but Steve insisted this time. And honestly, the evening was so soft and intimate and it was a little overwhelming for Billy bc they hang out a lot, yeah, they’ve messed around w/ each other a bit, sure, they’ve kissed a few times, totally. But all of it was pretty drunken/high and in the heat of the moment and tonight was absolutely none of those things. Tonight was near pure and Billy feels kinda funny. Kinda blushing and bashful and he really tries to ham up that machismo everyone thinks he was born with so he can get rid of these pesky emotions except it’s fading away real quick bc Steve is legitimately walking him to his fucking door. And you know Billy’s heart is racing for a number of reasons (a couple of them being inside the cabin) and once he reaches the porch he turns around quickly and leans his shoulder on the banister next to him, looking down at Steve who’s eyes widen a bit at the sudden change of plans here. Billy gives him a cocky grin, doing his best to hide his nerves.

“I think I can make it from here, Harrington.”

“You sure?” Steve asks, shoving his hands in his pockets and giving a confident and amused smirk. “Ya never know, out here. Y’know, I heard a rumor that there are some… monsters running around or something.”

Billy chuckles low, shaking his head.

“You’re a dork, Harrington.”

“You’re beautiful, Billy.”

And shit, if that doesn’t catch Billy off guard. He blinks a little harder for a second, looking down at Steve with knitted eyebrows but the boy is looking up at him from the lower step like Billy put the fucking stars in the sky just for him. And that last lick of sunlight is making everything glow golden and Billy just kind of stutters bc whatthefuck, and Steve takes that last step onto the porch, all of the confidence in the world basically living in his eyes as he places his hand on the side of Billy’s face and whispers what Billy thinks might be goodnight? But it’s lost against his lips and-

And little do these sweet boys know that there is 1 (one) Chief Jim Hopper standing in the window, peeking out through the curtain (bc he heard the footsteps on the porch and immediately went to see who it was) going absolutely red with anger.

In a second he’s in the doorway, the door slamming against the wall and Hop’s voice booming out: “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?!”

And holy fucking hell if they both don’t nearly jump out of their skin bc goddamnit they just got caught!! By the Chief of Police!!! Biggest, most intimidating man of Hawkins!!!!! Billy’s fucking dad!!!!!! Billy can’t imagine a worse scenario and honestly he’s doing the mental math on where he can go after he gets kicked out again bc he doesn’t know anyone else in this town and yeah, Steve’s parents aren’t home a lot, but what about when they are??? is he gonna be able to charm them enough to let him stay???

Billy is shaking like a leaf and Steve is looking at Billy so worriedly, super un-fucking-sure of what to do bc he knows Billy admires Hop so damn much and if he loses Hop he doesn’t know what Billy will do. So he’s watching Billy’s sweet, scared face as heavy footsteps get closer to him and-

“Oh shit!”

Steve is the one who’s collar is getting grabbed and whose weight is suddenly a lot lighter now bc he’s being lifted. There’s a harsh snap followed by a big finger being pointed in his face and a threatening grumble of:

“What are you doing touching my son?”

And Steve is about to flip his shit because holy hell he’s about to get snapped in half by Jim Hopper. And he’s not even questioning it at this point, honestly. He feels pretty damn sure he’s about to get snapped in half. Bc Hop doesn’t hate Steve. He really doesn’t. He actually even kind of likes Steve more recently bc El likes him a lot. He babysits the kids or something and he stopped being annoying. But Hop does hate Steve’s family. He thinks his parents are rich douchebags who look down on everyone for no goddamn reason. He knows they leave their son home alone all the time. He also knows Steve vandalized the local theater a couple years ago and was an overall cocky menace for a good majority of his life.

Jim doesn’t hate him, but he definitely doesn’t think he’s good enough for his son.

“Uhm, I-! I was-! I wasn’t-!” Steve is stuttering, a little confused as to how this turned so quickly. “I didn’t do anything!”

“Right, and you putting your greasy paws all over him was ‘doing nothing’, huh?” Jim growls, grip getting tighter.

“Uh-!” Steve doesn’t know what to do and hell neither does Billy. He’s going through multiple waves of emotions over here, from the relief of not being kicked out, to confusion over if it’s okay that he’s gay?, to a kind of very real terror bc wait a second he’s about to murder Steve

“Dad! Stop it! What are you doing?”

“Billy help-!”

“Dad, seriously! Put him down, holy shit!”

Hop loosens his grip only because Billy is calling him dad, but he’s still got a hand on Steve’s collar. He whips his head around and looks at Billy.

“Do you like this punk or what?”

“What?” Billy chokes.

“I said, do you like this punk or what?”

And honestly, this is kind of too much for Billy. Like, he briefly considers letting Steve just get snapped in half or something rather than admit to whatever feelings are blooming inside of him for the boy. But Steve is looking at him with those (albeit very scared) doe eyes and he’s melting and everything is bubbling up and it really, truly feels like he’s about to hurl or something.

“Yeah. Yes! Yes, I like him, just let go of him!”

“Right.” Hop nods. “Alright then.” He turns back to Steve. “You.”

“Y-y-yeah?”

“If you hurt my boy in any way, shape, or form, you’re going to answer to me. And I mean it. You hurt him and i break every single one of your fingers. Got it?”

And Steve kinda just wants to be let go now thanks and honestly couldn’t think about ever hurting Billy but he also can’t think of anything at all while his heart is beating so fast so he just nods and runs to his car once he’s let go.

Billy is just in absolute awe at the scenario, confused as he watches Steve speed away, feeling just about every emotion possible all at once… before he smacks Hopper’s shoulder.

“What the hell was that? You almost killed him.”

Hop sniffs. “I still get a weird feeling about that kid.”

“You barely mention him.”

“I’ve never liked him before.”

“You were just telling El yesterday that you think he’s a good kid.”

“Yeah, that was before I found out you’re dating him.”

“Oh my g- we’re not dating!”

“Did you eat?”

Billy pauses. “Well uh…”

“He didn’t even feed you?”

“We got distracted.” Billy crosses his arms.

“See,” Hop grumbles. “If he was a gentleman, he would have made sure you ate.”

Hello, my thoughts are it’s the cutest damn thing ever and i could cry just thinking about it aUGH HARRINGROVE DADS.

Okay, so i’ve read quite a few things talking about the Harringrove Dads and adopting little babies, adopting sweet little girls, etc. and i absolutely live and die for that shit. Like i’m so serious, i think it’s so sweet, it warms my heart, i eat it up, i LOVE it

But also (and i’m sure i’m not the first to say it) I feel like they’re NOT the type to go adopting babies. They’re not getting a surrogate to raise a kid from infancy. They may want to, they may have that inkling, they may see Jonathan and Nancy having a baby and get that infamous Baby Fever, but I just… I really can’t bring myself to write that.

Bc (in my canon) Billy was adopted as a 17 year old delinquent. El was adopted as a 12 year old lab rat. Steve was basically abandoned at home when he got too old to be the “cute little boy” their parents could tote around to promote their Nuclear Family image. They’re two boys who were made very keenly aware that there are shitty people out there who believe kids get less desirable the older they get. Shitty people who think babies are worth more than older kids who probably just come with “problems”.

(i’ve also been rewatching Boy Meets World and GUYS. i see a lot of Billy in Shawn Hunter. Boy who’s taken in bc he’s been neglected and he’s a sensitive kid underneath but he’s got this hard, bad boy shell bc it’s easier than crying every day)(AUGH and just like Will in Fresh Prince goddamnit i fucking LIVE for those kids who think and act all tough and use their pretty looks like a weapon but all they really need is a caring and stern hand who’s gonna keep them on the straight and narrow and help them out along the way i am SOFT.)

So if these boys have 3 kids, it’s 3 kids who were seen as the “worst” of the bunch. 3 kids they fought to connect with bc these kids didn’t see anything in themselves anymore but goddamnit, Steve and Billy saw 3 kids beat and broken by the system that told them the older they got, the smaller their chances were of ever getting out of this place. They came with problems and fears and shells harder than Billy’s steel toed boots but like hell were Billy and Steve going to let these kids go the rest of their lives thinking they were damaged goods.

(god now i wanna write OCs of their children. look what you did to me!)

Okay so their parenting style changes as they grow and adopt more kids, as what happens with most parents. They learn what’s good and what’s not so good and they get better at fixing problems (but of course it’s never quite that easy bc they’re adopting kids of different ages).

And of course i’m saying they adopt the kids everyone has turned away, but for their first kid they adopt a little boy, about 5 years old, bc they gotta start small. He’s very cute and has a bit of a lisp and he mixes up some of his letters and he’s… energetic. He runs and he screams and he tires himself out real quick to the point where he just flops down and takes naps where he is, meaning there has been more than one occasion where Billy or Steve has found the child sleeping face first in the middle of a room (the entry room seems to be his favorite. Billy doesn’t blame him, the carpet is softer there than anywhere else.) One time he even flopped down on the middle of the sidewalk and again in the middle of a department store. Both times Billy scooped him up like a rag doll and carried him around the rest of their trip out.

And i know it’s not the BEST movie but i can’t help but think their parenting at the beginning would be a bit like the movie Big Daddy. Like, a lot of well-intentioned but misguided advice, a lot of “real world” lessons (like how to piss on the side of the road), a lot of hurried and frazzled solutions to things because “kids are messy why are kids so fucking messy why can’t he ever stay clean?”

“He’s just a kid, Steve, c’mon-”

“He’s always sticky! How! How is he always sticky? What’s making him so sticky!”

And I just!! Augh!! Imagine Steve at work all day and Billy has off/maybe he’s inbetween jobs right now so he can be home with the kid/whatever and so he has errands to run and takes their little kid with him and the kid’s like:

“What’s your real name?”

“You know that. It’s Billy.”

“…. why?”

And Billy shrugs with an “I dunno, cuz I couldn’t talk and my parents could and they had to call me somethin.”

“You could’n talk?”

“Hey, you couldn’t either.”

The boy thinks for a second before: “Could too.”

“Could not. Not when you were a baby.” He pokes the boy in the shoulder, still very tentative with how much the little tike can take. “Don’t start attacking me! You didn’t name yourself.”

They walk for a second but Billy chimes in before the kid can.

“Hey, that’s not fair though, is it?”

The boy looks up and shakes his head, but he can see the confusion in his eyes.

“You should be able to name yourself, right? What do you want your name to be? Anything in the world, what do you want me to call you?”

Which is how Steve comes home to their child and Billy eating some baby carrots smothered in BBQ sauce and his husband telling him: “By the way, the kid’s new name is Hot Dog.”

“…. what?”

“He picked it out himself.”

And just imagine Billy and the kid are going grocery shopping and Billy catches the boy reaching for a can of spaghetti-o’s.

Billy reaches for the can and takes it off the shelf. “You like these?”

The kid nods.

“Alright then. Watch out-” he hold the kid back gently before chucking the can at the ground. He turns to his boy. “Dented cans are half off. Y’know, Microsoft dropped 3 points.”

His kid nods in awe.

“Wanna pick that up for me?” Billy asks and the kid follows, before rearing the can back to throw it on the ground.

“Woah woah woah! Watch it there!” Billy grabs the boy’s arm, before aiming it a different way. “Aim away from your feet… there ya go. I know they’re kinda tiny targets but still, don’t wanna give yourself a flat tire there.”

The kid chucks it and Billy laughs. “Nice job, little dude.”

And i just have so many THOUGHTS about this!!! Their second kid being a little 9 year old girl who’s real fucking good at boxing and fighting and also a little too good at sneaking out the window. They’ve caught her a few times in the backyard or the front yard, just sitting around shivering. It always gives Billy and Steve a heart attack.

“What are you doing out here?” Steve asks, kneeling down to look at the girl, Billy taking note of her hands balled up into little fists.

“I heard a… noise. A loud noise.”

“Oh, yeah, your brother just dropped a glass.”

“Oh. Did you… did you… hurt him?” Her fists clench tighter, her shoulders get tighter, closer to her ears. Billy sees himself in it. He wants to ease her shoulders down out of her ears.

“No! No of course we didn’t.” Steve soothes, rubbing the girls arms soothingly. She looks skeptical.

But it becomes a pattern, and they realize it’s whenever she thinks something is going on or someone is in danger. To the point where if any loud noise happens, one of them rushes outside to look for Jordan climbing out a window.

Steve’s out there this time, grabbing hold of her middle and helping her out of the window because they’ve let their plants grow a little wiley and she was having a hard time getting past them. He sets her down gently.

“It’s fine, hun. You’re fine. Your dad just dropped a pan.”

“Oh…”

“Y’know, you can’t keep doing this.”

“What?”

“Ditching out the window like this.” He kneels down to look at her. “It’s not safe. And one of these days it’s gonna be snowing and you’re gonna jump out in your PJs and be all cold.”

“I’ve done it before.”

And if that doesn’t break Steve’s heart. He thinks about Billy when he was a kid. About the stories Billy has told him when he’s tired and a little drunk and feeling a little emotional. Steve loses himself in the sadness of the thought for a second.

He brushes a little bit of dirt off her shoulder.

“Yeah… well you don’t have to ever again, alright? I mean it. Nothing is happening to you here. We’re not gonna hurt you… Now give me a hug.”

She accepts it, which is big for her, and Steve squeezes her as tight as he squeezed Billy that one night he found him with a cut on his cheek and bruises all up and down his arms.

And then they adopt another boy. A 17 year old boy. A boy who’s been in and out of so many homes he doesn’t have a number for it. A boy who’s angry and jaded and… loves poetry and is so gentle with children and animals.

And him and Billy butt heads… a lot. They’re so similar… at least he’s similar to what Billy used to be. And it pisses them both off bc suddenly Billy knows what Hop felt- frustration. Utter frustration at this boy not understanding his fucking potential.

And i’ve written a whole dialogue for this but it’s long and very dramatic and I might just end up writing a fic about all of these little sweethearts (bc i have so many ideas!!!) but basically the boy telling Billy and Steve that he’s fucked up. He’s fucked up and no one will ever be able to change that and Billy is adamant that he’s not until he admits-

“No. You’re right, you are fucked up.”

Steve is shocked. “Billy!”

“No, shut up Steve.” Billy points at the kid. “You are fucked up. You’re a fucked up kid, and you know what? I’m fucked up too. And so is Steve. And so is your aunt El, and your Aunt Max, and your Uncle Will and Uncle Jonathan. And y’know what else? Your grandpa Jim is fucked up too. Hell, even your Grandma Joyce is fucked up. Wish I could tell you she’s not but ding ding ding! She is!”

And they get in a fight. There’s no fists, no touching, but it’s a major fight of Billy telling this boy what Hop told him once: You’re our kid now and we love you. And you can leave and never think about us again but we’re never gonna forget you.

And: “Don’t you dare fucking compare us to those assholes because I’m not giving up on you. We’re not giving up on you. You’re family now and no matter what you do, I’m gonna be there to worry about you and be happy for you because you deserve it!”

And Billy gets frustrated with all of his yelling so he grabs his stress ball and walks away, breathing heavy, and Steve is there to look the boy in the eye and tell him Billy’s right. And that he understands that the boy has a past before they ever met him “but Billy had a life before he met me… and same with me and him, and we can still love each other. So maybe we’re just on an even playing field. We get to learn about you while you learn about us and… and even so, we can still love each other, right?”

AUGH I’M SOFT. ANYWAY.

Hop and Joyce spoil them fucking rotten. It’s really hard to spoil a 17 year old boy as stubborn as an ox (“You were bad enough, now you bring me another one?” “You saying you didn’t like taking care of me, Pops?” “I’m saying I have enough gray hair as it is.” “Oh shush, Hop!” Joyce hits him) but they do their best. They give him love and support. Joyce bakes a shitton of cookies and cakes and Hop buys the kids toys (and the older boy CDs and records and band tees)(“I’m trying! The older I get, the less I know what kids what.”)

And they love all their aunts and uncles too! The little girl has a hard time reading and she reads way below her level, so Aunt El helps her out!

“I understand. I learned to read really late.”

“Really?” The girl’s heart lifts a bit. “How late?”

“I was twelve.”

“Really??”

El nods and gives a kind smile. “Yeah, but I learned, didn’t I? I had a lot of help, and I can help you, too! Just like your dad helped me.”

The girl smiles brightly.

Will’s favorite is the youngest boy (but he would never tell the other two that. Of course not.) because he’s silly and he took to Will almost instantly and he likes to roll around in the grass and catch bugs and those were never really things Will liked as a kid and he… he likes that. He didn’t think he’d ever like that but there’s something about this kid that brings out adventure in him. He reminds Will of Mike when they first met. A bundle of energy and excitement that always dragged Will around on adventures.

The older one hangs out a lot with Max and Jonathan. Jonathan likes hanging out with the kid cuz he reminds him of Billy when Billy was young. (“I don’t remember you being this… exhausting though.” Jonathan tells Billy.) (“You’re just getting old, bud.” Billy says with a laugh and a clap on the back) They smoke weed whenever they can and Jonathan gives the boy some good old 70’s and 80’s music to listen to and tells the boy “Meatloaf is not the best of our decade, don’t listen to your father. Either of them, honestly. Their music taste is shit.”

Max hangs out with the older one too. She gives him advice about girls and how to talk to them and she picks up a skateboard for the first time in years because of him. They go to the skate park sometimes and everyone there is amazed that a twenty something year old girl is here to skate with them until she skates circles around them. (She becomes the hit of the skate park)

She also wrestles around with the little 8 year old girl sometimes! She has a lot of heart to hearts with the kid, giving her advice as well and telling her silly stories of both Billy and Steve so that the girl learns to trust them more.

Oh my GOD hun this is killing me i love this bc you fuckin BET he tries to ask multiple times and fails multiple times

Like??? Hop takes Billy in bc he’s intensely concerned for the boy bc he’ll speed through the streets w/ bruises on his face and fear in his eyes and Hop just has so much worry over it. But Hop also just Does. Not. Like. People. It’s just… it’s canon. Hop is a caring man who protects his town and worries over children (esp now that there’s fucking monsters) and also does fucking Not want to have to deal w/ more people than he has to. The man lives in the woods, he likes his solitude, but he takes El in and makes his cabin warm for her and i just am obsessed w/ the idea of him doing that for Billy too. And I like to think that maybe Hop can relate to Billy even more bc Billy is just a scared young kid who thinks he needs to play tough to save himself and someone tell me Hop wasn’t totally that way as a kid too. As a kid who probably had a tough as nails father. As a teen watching the war and being forced into it. As a man, now, who has lost his biological daughter and, let’s be real, probably still has nightmares about it, as well as about the horrors that face this town.

So i say all of that to offer the idea that Hop really connects w/ Billy and tries so fucking hard for Billy. and also to say I think it would take about a MONTH of Billy living w/ him before he asks if he wants to change his name. And the only reason it even takes that long is bc Billy had specifically said he didn’t want his last name changed when he got adopted. He didn’t provide a reason, he even looked a little shaken up about it, and he just refused to change his name. But after a month Billy is joking around with Hop and teaching El how to read and is helping Hop cook dinners and Hop thinks he’s family now, right?

He sleeps on it and can’t shake it and tries to ask in the morning and ohmygod guys he’s a mess.

Billy is pouring coffee into a mug, adding so much milk it almost looks like cream, and Hop knows Billy does this now, knows he has to buy extra milk for him, and that hits him bc it’s just that this boy is his son now and why does he want his last name to be the same as that dickheaded man? And-

“Hey kid?”

Billy turns to look at Hop, leaning himself back against the counter and crossing an ankle over the other.

“I told you, stop calling me kid.” Billy says into his mug.

“Yeah yeah uh… do you- uhm. Do you-? Do… do you? Do you?”

That’s it.

And Billy has just woken up, has just got his coffee in his hand, has just been blinded by the sun when he opened the curtains and he’s just?? So lost? He tries to blink himself awake more, as if that’s going to fix the question.

“Do… what?”

Hopper feels like an absolute idiot but he just... doesn’t want to freak the boy out bc he still barely lets Hop hug him. He gets tense when Hop even gets close like??? Fuck he’s gonna scare the poor boy.

“Do you... want more coffee?”

Billy looks down at his full mug.

“Uh, unless you can fit more in this mug, I think I’m good for now.” and he’s got a confused and smarmy grin on his face that Hop just kind of grunts at and grabs his hat off the counter and leaves w/ a mumbled bye to Billy and El before heading out to the station.

And you fuckin bet he’s at Melvald’s in about an hour to see Joyce who is looking at Hop fondly as he basically loses his mind over what to do.

“I was thinking maybe I could ask Billy if he wants to change his last name.”

“But didn’t-”

“I know he wanted to keep his own last name.”

“Yeah-”

“I just don’t like that he still shares it with that asshole.”

Joyce eyes the mother carrying her toddler around the store.

“Hop-”

“I’m gonna ask him.”

“Alright.”

There’s a pause.

“He barely lets me get near him.”

Joyce gives him a tired smile. “Just be gentle about it. Don’t make it seem like you’re making the choice for him. And don’t be offended if he says no.”

And Hop tries to take that advice w/ him, but wow he keeps trying and he just keeps failing. Like, over dinner when Billy helps El cut her meat and Hop tries but just ends up asking if Billy wants some salt. Or when they go to the store and Billy picks up his favorite jam and peanut butter and starts to explain why they’re his favorite like Hopper would be interested and the thing is, he is and he tries to ask but ends up asking if Billy wants to pick up some pickles. Or when Billy is sitting down watching Miami Vice w/ Hop and El and he’s letting El brush out his hair and try to braid it and Hop tries to ask but he asks if he wants some milk.

And Hop just keeps failing until the first time Billy calls him “Dad”.

Billy is making toast for himself after making some for El, who’s crunching away happily on her toast w/ raspberry jam, when Hop wakes up and stumbles into the kitchen and Billy is chuckling at Hop’s bed head.

“Mornin’.” He says w/ a smile.

Hop grunts in response, going to the coffee pot.

And Billy’s spreading his favorite jam over a piece of toast as he asks: “Want some toast, dad?”

Hop nearly drops the coffee pot. The only sound is the crunching of El’s toast as she watches them innocently.

Now now now now now now now now

“Billy, do you want to change your last name?”

Billy takes a second before he  turns and crosses his arms and it looks like he’s trying to put on a real tough facade but Hop sees through it- the boy is terrified. Hell, so is he. He loves this boy like he’s his actual, biological son but no one can deny he’s also a firecracker w/ a short fuse. He’s still so worried about freaking him out but he just called him dad and that’s like, a sign, right??

Billy’s chewing the inside of his lip, twisting his mouth around like El does when she’s confused and frustrated.

“To Hopper?”

Hop can’t help but let out a laugh.

“No, to Bond.” He says with a nervous laugh over his coffee. He takes some heavy gulps, trying to wake himself up.

Billy stands there, reaching behind himself for his toast and taking a few bites but his eyes are on the ground and they look confused and stressed.

“It’s not too far away from your name now. Not that it really matters, I guess. I mean, you can keep your initials. If that’s even something you’re worried about? I mean, not as cool as Bond, I guess. And I know you wanted to keep your name before I just… I don’t want you to have that asshole’s last name anymore-unless you want it! I mean- fu-uh? Goddamnit. I’m not trying to make the decision for you I was just… wondering because you’re like a son to me. I mean, you are my son, I tell people you’re my son so if you want-”

“Billy Hopper.” Billy cuts in; says it like he’s chewing on it instead of his toast. Hop shuts up.

There’s a pause.

“Sounds like a bunny rabbit.” Billy says over another bite of toast.

“A… a what?”

“A bunny rabbit. Jim Hopper, El Hopper, and Billy Hopper. Like a big family of bunny rabbits.”

Hop wasn’t expecting this.

“Uhm-? Okay?”

“Yes.”

Hopper’s brain is basically fried.

“Wait, like… yes you want to change your name?”

“Yeah, sure.” Billy says like Hopper hasn’t been agonizing over this for months. “Billy Hopper. We can be a big family of bunny rabbits.”

Hop is nearly speechless.

“Uh okay. Yeah, okay. Great. I mean… great!”

Billy laughs, and reaches out to pat Hop’s shoulder.

“Good talk, dad.” He says w/ amusement but nope Hop is fucking elated and Billy just isn’t getting away w/o a great big bear hug and so he puts his mug down and hugs Billy hard and Billy is tense as fuck, esp when Hop picks him up a bit but Hop can’t help it bc he has a son and he’s just always wanted a son.

And the next time Steve calls Billy “Hargrove” all amusingly irritated (bc they’ve been flirting for weeks now but they’re not dating yet), Billy’s heart stops for a sec before he laughs.

“Actually…. It’s Hopper now.”

Steve can’t process it for a second.

“Wait what?”

“Yeah I uh… i just changed it..”

Steve tries to do the nonexistent math in his head.

“Wait wait wait, am I gonna have to call you Hopper from now on? That’s so fucking weird, man.”

“I mean, you could call me other things. Like, my name for one. Or King, since I’ve officially taken your crown. Maybe even babe or baby, if you wanna be real sweet to me.”

“How ‘bout asshole?” Steve asks through his blush.

Billy guffaws.

Hey hun, are you trying to kill both me AND Neil??????? And I say Neil bc Neil is gonna die at the hands of Hop & Joyce if he keeps doing this BULLSHIT. fuck neil.

(i swear you’re all trying to kill me and put Hop in jail but i love y’all for it so it’s fine ♥)

okay so it’s almost dinner time and Billy is walking past the front door to go to the kitchen and help Jonathan get some plates down when someone knocks on the door. He detours the couple of steps it takes to get to the door and swings it open, face unamused until a flash of red is rushing towards him, aimed straight for his chest and making solid contact. It catches Billy off guard, throwing his hands out and fully prepared to push the incoming attacker off when he realizes how small this person is and how warm and are they hugging me? And…

“Max?”

“Can I stay here?” She asks, voice distant and muffled in Billy’s chest. He doesn’t know what to say, just takes another step back so he can close the door and keep the cold out.

“What’s wrong with you, brat?” He asks, patting Max’s shoulder while also lightly pushing her away. He loves her, yeah, but they were never like… affectionate with each other. They never hug or anything, it’s usually light punches and playful shoves.

“Can I say?” She asks again, pulling away and catching eyes with Joyce, who’s standing in the doorway to see who just walked in.

“Hello there, sweetie! What’re you doing here? Would you like to stay for dinner?”

“Yes please.” Max says, rolling her board underneath her foot and over to the corner. Billy didn’t even notice it when she first walked in.

so she skated here.

She smoothes her hair down a little bit and walks over to find Will and El and tell them dinner is almost ready.

Billy doesn’t trust it.

Bc he knows his kid sister. Knows she’s never this frazzled. Knows she only avoids answering when the answer is gonna make Billy mad and that’s a problem bc… Billy’s calmer now. At least, he’s getting calmer. And the only things that would make Billy really mad are things that are serious and if something serious happened he needs to fucking know.

He forgoes helping Jonathan with the dishes to follow Max down the hall.

“Max!” El yells, wrapping Max in a hug and pulling her into her room in a flurry of giggles.

“Max is here?” Hop calls from the front door, where he’s shucking off his coat and hanging his hat.

“Yeah, I dunno why though.”

“Does there have to be a reason?” Hop asks on a chuckle, heading over to Joyce to give her a kiss.

Billy shrugs, looking down the hall unamused.

“Something’s wrong. She skated here in the dark.”

“Wait a second, she skated here?” Joyce asks, pulling away from Hop to give Billy a serious look.

“Her board’s in the corner.” Billy nods over to it. “And she left in the middle of dinner.”

Hop looks confused.

“Dinner is always at 6:30. On the dot.” He nods to the clock, which shows it’s barely 7. “Why’d she leave in the middle of dinner?”

Joyce gives Hop a serious look, prompting him to call the girls in. They come running in a flurry of little feet and humming.

“What’s up kid? Something wrong?” Hop asks seriously.

Max’s brow furrows.

“No. Nothing’s wrong.” Her energy falls. Billy sees it; crosses his arms.

“Sure about that?”

Max hits him with a glare, but it falters. She’s guilty- she’s never been able to keep her glare when she’s guilty.

She nods through a pout. Billy sits in his other hip.

“Really?” Billy asks again. “Because we made a promise when I moved out. You’re not breaking it, are you?”

He leans down a bit to look her more square in the eyes. He can see it- she’s nervous.

When Billy left he made her promise, absolutely promise, that if Neil did anything to her, she’d tell him and he’d get Neil put in jail. (“I’m living with the Chief of Police now.” He had said, swiping at a tear on Max’s red-with-anger cheek. She had swatted his hand away.)

“No it’s fine.” Max says, growling just a bit before pulling El with her to the dinner table to set out the plates.

Joyce looks nervous, Hop exhausted, Billy frustrated to high hell as he watches Max work to get the seat next to him.

And dinner is normal- pleasant even. It usually is with Max. Everyone in the house likes her. She’s funny and she has good manners and she’s good company.

But then-

There’s a knock at the door.

Billy pushes his chair back to get it, being the closest to the door.

“Wait!” Max calls, worry in her eyes that settles a pit in Billy’s stomach.

“What?”

“Uh… don’t. You shouldn’t-”

“It’s fine, sweetie, it’s just the door.” Joyce assures as Billy heads over, each step feeling like he’s walking to his grave for some undefinable reason. He reaches for the handle with some kind of strange worry in his heart, like he already knows who’s on the other side. He thinks he might. He thinks-

He swings the door open to find a man with a square jaw and a heavy brow.

“William.”

Billy’s heart lurches. It takes all of his strength to stand still, pissed as hell to see this man at the front door of his new home. He squares his shoulders, ready to tell the man to leave and shut the door on his face when-

Neil takes a heavy step forward, buttoning the intimidating gesture up with a crack of his right knuckles and Billy-

Billy’s scared. He takes a step back and feels his face flush red with embarrassment that he may never be able to stand up to this stupid man.

Heavier footsteps tell him Hop is coming up behind him.

“Hargrove.” Hop rumbles, putting a large, warm hand on Billy’s shoulder to pull him back behind him. Neil doesn’t let his eyes off Billy until he has to. Billy takes a few steps away, heart racing in anger and fear and embarrassment and anger goddamnit anger.

Joyce rubs his back and pushes him gently towards the dining room where Max is curled up in El’s embrace before she runs to Billy.

“I’m sorry Billy I’m sorry I tried to tell you not to go to the door I didn’t…” She hiccups, dry heaving. “I didn’t think he’d come here I- I…”

Billy pulls her in hard, crushing her in a hug to get rid of all of this feeling bubbling up inside of him.

“You brat.” He mumbles, hitting her shoulder slightly harder than friendly. “I told you to tell me.” He pulls her away by her shoulders and bends down to look at her. “Now what happened.”

Her face is switching back and forth from fear to anger to sadness and back again.

“He… he told me I couldn’t come here anymore. He said he didn’t want me seeing you because…. And… fuck him.” She buries her head in his chest again. El and Will come to her side, hugging her from behind to try to soak up the sadness and all the anxiety.

And over by the front door is an angry Neil standing in front of an even angrier Hop and Joyce, Jonathan standing in the doorway to the dining room to make sure the kids and Billy don’t come out or even see the man standing at the entrance to their house. He’s livid inside, seeing Billy’s father but hearing his own.

“You’re not welcome here.” Hop growls, arms crossed, looking big.

Neil chuckles something menacing.

“I’m just looking for my daughter. Do you know where she is?”

Joyce is boiling, ready to strike.

“She’s safe.” Hop assures.

“That’s not what I asked.”

Joyce is going to punch somebody. Hop takes a step forward, pushing Neil back out of the doorway.

“She’s safe. That’s all you should be asking.”

“I don’t want her here. Is she here.”

“Look.” Hop growls, stepping forward again, Joyce joining him at his side. “That little girl is like family to us, and if something happens to her or she feels unsafe for any reason, then I can guarantee I’ll be the first to know. I’m the Chief of Police, and being Chief of Police and living here my whole life, I have a lot of knowledge that I like to use. Like laws… regulations… good places to hide bodies.”

Jonathan chuckles quietly from his spot in the doorway.

Neil is shrinking, jaw set in something that’s probably supposed to be intimidating but looks more like a child.

“Do you understand me?”

Neil is red with anger.

“She’s my responsibility.” He grumbles and that’s what breaks Joyce.

“Then act responsible! And acting responsible means taking care of kids, not scaring them away or treating them like objects! That little girl is a good kid and so is that boy you tormented for years and you don’t deserve either of them! So until you don’t stop acting like a jackass and start acting like a good, responsible parent, that child is going to want nothing to do with you! And I swear, if you so much as lay a finger on her head or that boy’s head you’re going to wish Hop had got to you first after I’m done with you!”

Joyce is shaking with fury, glaring up into the square face of a man who looks more scared than he does irritated now. He sends a glare to Hop, who reaches down onto his belt to finger at the pocketknife he always keeps attached to his belt, and turns around to get in his car and head back home.

Hop shuts the door loudly as Neil drives off, him and Joyce out of breath from their anger.

They turn to see Jonathan with a proud look on his face.

“Fuck that guy.” He says, and earns a stern finger in his face for it.

“Language!” Joyce chastises him.

Jonathan chuckles and throws his hands into the air in defeat. “Sorry mom.”

Yes. yes. And YES. (I hope you don’t mind that I mixed these two!!)

Okay i have so many thoughts about this and w/ every little thing i write that includes Billy and El i think about what it must do to Max. bc i love Max and I wanna give her hugs and ohmygod guys MAX.

(And i should probably preface this by saying I haven’t read Runaway Max so i don’t necessarily know what’s canon but also i’ve been melting canon down to what i want it to be so i guess this won’t be very different from what I normally do, huh??)

Anyway i talked about it in the ask prior to this but I Highly Believe that Billy and Max’s relationship pre-move-out-mayhem was bitchy at most. Like I think they were snarky and a little rude to each other but they were still supportive. Bc they lived in a house w/ a man who got mad so frequently. and i don’t think Neil ever touched or ever will touch Max (i have extended thoughts on this but we don’t have to get into it here, i’ll just leave it at the gist) but Max knows something is wrong. Sees the bruises on Billy’s face and hears the yelling and the harsh sounds and harsher words. Never ever talks about it bc Billy always barks at her if she tries. But she’ll let him have the last popsicle he loves so much or she’ll let him take as much time as he wants fixing his hair in the bathroom in the morning or just any little thing that makes something even a little better. Bc she’s still a kid at this point, there’s not a lot she can do, but she can do little things like that.

And i headcanon Billy as having been a brat but still doing things for her. Like when he has to babysit her and he’ll take her down to the boardwalk and buy her an ice cream but he’s like: “Don’t get used to it.” as if he didn’t just do something super nice. He does her hair for her bc as a kid she was Helpless at putting her hair up and so he started helping her and just never stopped. Did her hair for her bc it was easier than sitting down to teach her. Cooks dinners for her or even w/ her when Neil and Susan are out to dinner or out of town or whatever. Drives her to school every day when he gets a car and they argue over music but really she kind of likes his music, even though she’d never tell him. She gets into some of the bands he likes and steals a couple of the band shirts he lifted from stores when they get too small for him. He teaches her how to skate and even gives her his board when he gets his car. She’s ecstatic about it and he brushes it off by pulling at her hair and saying: “Whatever, dipshit, now I won’t have to drive you to the candy store or wherever it is you go.”

She punches his arm.

He chuckles and kicks at her heel lightly as they walk.

They just… they’re brats but they’re SIBLINGS. And yeah they’re half siblings but Billy is adamant in S2 about the fact that they’re family. That boy loves Max and Max loves Billy bc they grew up w/ each other and faced so much shit together.

But right before the move… and during the move… and after the move…

Billy gets so rough. He’s angry all the time. Stops doing her hair and yells at her when she asks. Laughs when she tries and fails to the point where she just leaves her hair down and unbrushed bc it’s just easier. He’s on edge all the time and takes it out on her and he vaguely sees himself doing it but he’s red and angry and uncaring bc fuck this fuck all of this.

He blames everything he sees bc it’s easy and facing the reality of his whole situation is hard and he’s just tired. Wants to be given a break but he hasn’t been given a break for years now so he’s absolutely exhausted. He kicks and punches walls and he slams his door in Max’s face when she asks him a question and he shuts himself away bc it’s easier to do that than face anything and it’s bad. But Billy isn’t sure what qualifies as bad and good anymore, he just knows what hurts and what doesn’t and everything hurts but hiding almost makes it feel like it doesn’t. He used to not mind being his sister’s keeper but now he fucking has to babysit her goddamn 24/7 and he’s in a new town where he knows NOBODY and he can’t be open here bc it’s in the fucking midwest and he’s just angry and hurt and so damn fearful so he gets mad. Stressed. Takes it out on everything and everyone and Max.

So Max loses her brother.

She loses him mentally and emotionally and then she loses him physically.

Bc Hop finds out, and he adopts Billy, and then Billy’s gone. But Billy makes it very clear to her once he’s gone that “If anything and I mean absolutely anything happens with Neil, you tell me straight away. Got it? I’m living with the goddamn Chief of Police now, we’ll get that guy in jail so fast I swear.”

Max just nods.

But nothing ever happens. Neil is kind of a dick but he doesn’t get as angry. He’s strict but not physical. It makes Max angry though bc she hates the thought that it was just Billy that made him so horrible. She doesn’t wanna believe it. Sure this man gave her her brother but she hates him for pushing him away.

And Max loves El. She really does. She loves El to the moon and back, hanging out with her is an absolute blast, having a friend who’s a girl feels like a godsend sometimes bc boys are stupid and girls are soft and pretty and lovely.

And she tries real hard not to be jealous of El. She really really does. And she tries real hard not to get mad at Billy either, really. It’s just that…

It sucks. And it hurts. Bc Billy is so calm with El. He’s so brotherly and caring and good with her. He takes her to ice cream and does her hair and jokes around with her. He lets her brush his hair and he buys cookies and stuff for her and they have little inside jokes now. He’s soft and gentle with her. He shows her new music and he hugs her all the fucking time and wow it sucks.

Because Max had to deal with all of it before it became this. Saw all of Billy’s pain and felt pain in her heart over it and then saw through Billy giving her pain and felt physical pain over that and then saw him leave and now feels emotional pain over the fact that she doesn’t get him anymore.

And he still drives her to school everyday. He still drives her around when she asks, even if he bitches about it. He shows her new music and he willingly hands over his too small band shirts. He’s still a protective little shit over her. He hangs out with her and messes around w/ her when she goes over to visit El.

But the thing is… El gets to keep him… and Max has to go home to no one.

And Max likes her mom. Would never wanna leave her mom. Her mom is the one thing that keeps her grounded to her previous life- her life even before Billy. Dealing with dickish Neil is sometimes worth it bc she still has her mom.

But her mom isn’t really home all that much. And even when she is, hanging out with her isn’t as cool or fun; sometimes it’s kind of draining. She just wants her brother back.

And Max is a goddamn firecracker too. Just like her brother. She’s hotheaded and straightforward and she just gets so frustrated bc whatthefuck. But she doesn’t wanna lash out at El bc it’s not El’s fault and she doesn’t really wanna lash out at Billy bc she’s happy he’s happy now but goddamnit she had to deal with all of the trauma and now El gets him at his best without the worst and she’s just pissed.

So sometimes she’ll get fed up. She’ll come over to hang out and she hears Billy and El making their own little inside jokes and watches Billy pick El up and swing her around while El giggles and sees Billy helping El read things like titles to movies or cereal boxes or ice cream cartons and Max’s face will get red and she’ll storm out of the cabin grumbling about skating home.

And Billy doesn’t like that, doesn’t really want her skating home from here, so he follows her out, leaving El inside, shouting: “Wait up, Max, I’ll drive you.”

“Don’t bother.”

“Quit being a brat, you shouldn’t be skating that far this late.”

“Me skating home never worried you before.”

“Cut it out, I just don’t want anything happening to you-”

And Max turns, face red, hair in flames around her head as it whips around her and she yells: “You’re not my brother anymore!”

And Billy is seriously taken aback. Bc to him he never stopped being her brother but here Max is, angry and spitting in his direction with her anger, gripping her board tight and her nose crunching up in that way he almost forgot about.

Max huffs.

“Just go have fun with your new sister.”

Billy’s chest flares up.

“Fine, shitbird!”

Max gets on her board and shoots a middle finger up behind her as she skates away. Billy slams the door when he heads back inside.

And they make up real fast. A few days later El wants to see Max to go shopping and there’s no one to drive them but Billy. So they’re a little pissy with each other but Billy gets them a couple of sodas and Max hip checks him a few times so he knows they’re cool again.

But there’s still that tense feeling in her chest. That sick feeling in her throat. That pounding in her head as El tries on a bunch of shirts and Billy jokes around with El and ruffles her hair and pokes her forehead.

She watches them interact and it presses at her chest too hard so she forces herself to speak. She needs it off her chest she needs it gone.

“Billy?”

“Mm?” He grunts out.

“Do you… like El more than me?”

And god something about it cracks Billy’s heart. Bc he loves Max, he really does. He’s done so much in his life to protect her and help her and teach her. They grew up for years together. They’ve been through too much shit for him to not love her. and he’s never seen her so self conscious before.

There’s a long pause of them sitting there, Billy’s head spinning a bit, before he looks to her and takes a dramatic sigh.

“You know… to be honest… I hate all of you runts just about the same.”

He chuckles when she punches him. “I’m being serious!”

“So am I! You big group of nerds leech all my money,” Billy begins counting the list on his fingers, “make me your personal driver, keep me from fucking my boyfrie-”

“Shut up! God you’re so grody!” Max shoves at his shoulder.

“Grody? Excuse me Max, grody? Who are you?”

She shoves him again and sighs. Billy watches her.

“What’s got you so worked up, brat?”

Max grumbles, nose scrunching up before she gives an angry huff.

“I hate this. I don’t want to hate it but… you’re supposed to be my brother.” She’s angry, face turning red but there’s almost tears in her eyes and Billy hates seeing them there. “And El gets you when you’re nice.” she tilts her head back against the wall and looks up to the ceiling. “I bet she doesn’t even know how much of a dick you can be.”

Billy chuckles.

“I’d beg to differ. I’m still being a dick.”

“Doubt it.”

“Seriously, Max. You know me, I was born a jerk.”

“Were not.” she mumbles. He flicks her ear in response.

She yelps. “Hey! Jerk!”

“See?” Billy laughs and lightly shoves her shoulder. “Quit worrying about it. I’m serious. Yeah El gets me now that I’m in a good spot but you understand me, y’know? We get each other. Or whatever.”

Max rolls her eyes but seems pretty pleased with the answer. Billy gives a satisfied grin before folding his hands behind his head and leaning back.

“Besides…” he drawls. “It’s no secret that Will is my actual favorite.”

Max punches his side and Billy makes a pained noise over his chuckle.

“See? Will wouldn’t hit me!”

Max rolls her eyes again but she’s smiling. She’s glad Billy still thinks of himself as her brother bc she doesn’t want him to go away. She lost him once and doesn’t wanna lose him again. 

And yeah it still kinda sucks… but she likes the relationship she has with Billy. Plus, after their little talk Billy starts being overly nice to the point where it’s clearly a joke. He grabs the sides of her head and gives a big, dramatic kiss to the top of it. He scoops her up into bone crushing hugs. He holds doors open for her and acts real dumb about it and starts calling her things like “Sister dear” to the point where Max just says: “Cut it out you’re being annoying. Just go back to being a jerk.”

He laughs and punches her shoulder lightly.