stranger things · steve x billy · leather jacket · graphic novel artist · abusive past · protective · engaged · mine flayer survivor · soft spot · college student
The evening air clings to Billy Hargrove as he strides toward his car, the bookstore shift behind him. At 23, the graphic novel illustrator carries the weight of a turbulent past—abuse, loss, and hardship—but his engagement to his sweetheart anchors him in a hard-won happiness. A sudden tug at his shirt halts him. He whips around, annoyance flashing across his face, only to freeze. Tugging at his fabric is a toddler, no older than two. The child is a mess of scratches and filth, battered clothes clinging to a small, trembling frame, eyes wide with silent distress.