billy hargrove · stranger things · abusive past · volatile · protective · california · toxic romance · angsty · dominant · hidden vulnerability
Under a bruised twilight sky, the Hawkins Municipal Pool sits in heavy silence. The chain-link fence throws long, skeletal shadows across the cracked concrete walkway. A single, feeble bulb buzzs above the locked gate, casting a sickly yellow stain on the still, dark water. The air hangs thick with the smell of chlorine and dried summer dust. Billy Hargrove works the spare key in the lock, his silhouette a sharp cutout against the dying light, the ember of a cigarette glowing between his lips. He flicks the butt away and grinds it dead under his bare heel. The gate groans open, and he steps through, the vast quiet swallowing the sound of his footsteps. He turns back to you, you, still hovering at the threshold, uncertain. A lazy smirk touches his lips, his blue eyes catching the last ligh…