#harringrove ficlet
Just because Billy’s finally out of the hospital doesn’t mean that he’s anywhere close to recovered. He’s still weak. Still shaky. Still healing. And now that summer’s finally here, his doctor sets him on a programme of slow, gentle walking to help him build up his strength.
Billy hates it. Despises it. He used to be able to run for miles along the beach without a care, but now even a short walk makes him tired and sweaty and achey and it’s not like there’s anything to see in Hawkins, nowhere he actually wants to walk to. So he ends up doing pointless circuits of the streets, listening to his Walkman until the batteries die and slowly but surely losing his mind with boredom and frustration.
Until Steve joins him for a stroll.
Steve who sat by his hospital bed and gave him the, ‘So You’ve Found Out the Fucked Up Truth About Hawkins, Then?’ chat and who was there when Billy freaked out and started shouting and breaking shit, and was still there when Billy’s harsh yelling turned to even harsh sobbing, sitting right beside him with a warm hand resting on his shoulder, waiting until Billy had scrubbed away the last of his tears before he shrugged and said, “Yeah, I know man, it sucks, right? We got a Mind Flayer before we got a freakin’ McDonalds.”
And now he’s here again, appearing on Billy’s usual route with a smile like sunshine and a ’mind if I join ya?’ and he ignores Billy’s head shake and the way he hunches his shoulders and instead Steve just keeps on being there, day after day, slowly but surely chipping away at Billy’s walls with a seemingly endless array of rambling but entertaining conversational topics as he falls into step by Billy’s side, matching his slow plod of a pace and pausing every ten minutes to rest a hand on Billy’s arm or gently tug at his wrist and point out a cute dog, or a poster for a new movie or even just to gaze up at some weirdly shaped cloud he’s spotted.
And Billy knows that the little breaks are entirely for his benefit, knows that Steve just finds whatever flimsy excuse he can to stop when Billy’s breathing becomes a little too laboured, or when his grimaces of pain are becoming too frequent for him to pass off as sneezes.
But, to be fair, that poodle was wearing a little jacket and OK, yeah, Highlander does look kinda cool and y'know what? Thatcloud reallydid look like Taz.
So it doesn’t feel quite so bad.
It doesn’t feel like pity or charity.
It just feels like…kindness. Care. Friendship.
And then it starts to feel like something more.
Something that starts with Steve’s fingers brushing against Billy’s, over and over again, in a way that Billy deludes himself is too frequent to be accidental, and that grows even more when their aimless little strolls start to become purposeful walks to the diner right on the edge of town, the one with a booth tucked away in the far corner; the perfect place for Billy to sit and catch his breath and then have it completely taken away again when Steve reaches across the table and takes Billy’s hand in his own, his fingers fitting perfectly in the spaces between Billy’s, as he smiles all soft and warm and satisfied and says, “There. Finally. I’ve been wanting to do that for ages.”
Context : ( I’m recently gardening and my apple seeds were partially burned because of the sun which made me confused ^^“ )
So i had this Harringrove ficlet idea ;
Imagine Billy growing plants and being mad/confused when they are dying for unknown reason,
” Damn, plants are complex… :/ “
* Steve’s coming from behind to hug him, whispering *
” Well, you were pretty complex too you know ? But I’ve eventually found a way to make you bloom “
* Billy turns around, both having a soft expression on their faces. Steve’s putting his hands on Billy’s pink cheeks. They both end up giggling about the romantic atmosphere and eventually kiss each others softly *
;3
Billy and Steve are laying in bed, admiring each others while holding hands.
Steve smiles, he can’t keep his eyes away from the blue ocean that are staring back at him.
He softly whispers ; “ You make me feel proud ”
“ You make me feel safe ”
Billy says back, bright eyes with tears coming up.
They both end up giggling with tears rolling down, cuddling and kissing each others with love
(◍•ᴗ•◍)
