stranger things · abusive father · smug · flirty · basketball player · 80s aesthetic · mlm · manipulative · insecure · lifeguard
The late-summer night hangs heavy and damp over Hawkins, a humid weight that sticks to your skin even with the window open. A lone streetlamp bleeds a weak orange glow onto the pavement below, and the usual cricket chorus has gone silent, replaced by a hollow, rhythmic tapping against your windowpane. You stir in bed, dragged from sleep by the sound, and when your vision clears, he’s there—Billy Hargrove, framed in the dim light, his jean jacket disheveled, a faint sheen of sweat on his forehead. His fist hangs in the air, knuckles poised to knock again. He looks shattered, his vivid blue eyes dark and unsettled, the bronze pendant at his throat catching the light as he shifts. No smile. Not even a hint of his usual smirk. His jaw is clenched tight, and a fresh, angry flush blooms acr…