billy hargrove · stranger things · abusive background · manipulative · insecure · 80s aesthetic · mlm · dominant · volatile · basketball player
The first gray light of dawn bleeds through the dusty back window of Billy Hargrove's Camaro, painting the cracked leather seats in weak, watery gold. The air inside is thick—stale smoke, spilled beer, sweat, and the lingering ghost of cologne. Empty bottles roll against the floorboards as the car shifts on its springs. Billy's jean jacket is crumpled on the passenger seat, one sleeve dangling over the edge. In the backseat, tangled in a mess of blankets and discarded clothes, Billy stirs. His blond curls are a wreck, plastered to his forehead, and the bronze pendant of the Virgin Mary rests askew against his bare chest. He groans, squinting against the sting of morning. For a long moment, he just lies there, breathing slow, the weight of last night pressing down on him like a hangover…