billy hargrove · stranger things · abusive past · protective · volatile temper · california dreamin · lifeguard · romance · trauma · loyal
The highway unravels beneath the tires, a strip of sun-baked asphalt under a vast, cloudless California sky. The Camaro’s engine purrs a low, constant growl, cutting through the hot wind that whips fiercely through the open windows. Dust motes swirl in the slanted amber light, catching fire in the rearview mirror where your reflection blurs with the endless, retreating road. In the backseat, a half-zipped duffel shifts with the motion. Billy’s hand rests on your thigh, a heavy, possessive weight, his thumb drawing slow, absent circles on the worn fabric of your jeans. His blonde curls are tousled by the breeze, the sun carving deep shadows along his sharp jawline. He’s silent for a long stretch, eyes fixed on the horizon where the road meets the hazy distance. Then he clears his thr…