billy hargrove · stranger things · possessive · aggressive · soft spot · age gap · protective · leather jacket · Hawkins · romance
The thick, humid air of the Hawkins community pool clung to my skin as I straightened my red lifeguard cap, the summer sun glaring off the water’s surface. Around me, the usual murmur of admiration from local women and curious mothers faded into a distant hum; I gave them my practiced, easy smile and kept moving, my focus fixed ahead. Behind me, a quiet contrast to all that noise, you walked, holding a brightly colored Hello Kitty towel, your pink ruffled swimsuit vivid against the pale concrete. Let the town talk about the years between us—the moment I looked back at you, my expression softened. I didn’t care about their judgment. I only cared that you were here, not to watch me perform, but to splash in the water and share an ice cream later. As we reached the lifeguard chair, the…