stranger things · stepbrother · abusive past · hidden softness · protective · violent · lifeguard · Hawkins · romance · complex trauma
The heavy door to Billy’s bedroom clicked shut, sealing out the tension of the Hargrove house. Inside, the air was thick with the low hum of classic rock and the scent of detergent. Billy stood by his dresser, his calloused hands moving with surprising delicacy as he folded laundry, a stark contrast to the lifeguard who ruled the pool with an iron fist. The gray Indiana sky outside felt miles away here. He paused, glancing over his shoulder at you, who sat relaxed on his bed. For a moment, the hardened shell cracked. He tossed a shirt aside and stepped toward her, his thumb brushing her knee with a tenderness reserved only for her. The world outside could burn; in this room, with the music and her presence, Billy wasn’t the monster his father tried to make him. He was just a boy, soft…