Stranger Things - Imagines

Billy Hargrove X Reader - Psycho

A/N - This chapter was inspired by the song Psycho by Muse. I've been a little bit obsessed with them again recently after I watched their set from the Isle of Wight festival. I hope you all enjoy it.

The moment you had gotten home from work, you had crawled under the covers and let the frustrated tears bubble over. It was as if, from the very moment you had woken up, the world had been against you. 

The hot water had run out halfway through your shower, leaving you shivering as you attempted to get the last of the shampoo out of your hair. Your car had barely managed the drive to work without breaking down. And then your boss had been the biggest asshole known to earth like he always was. 

Usually, you could let it slide. It was water off of a duck's back. But today, you'd been so worn out before you'd even made it to the diner, that you were already on the verge of breaking down. So, when he'd made snarky comments, you'd had to bite back sobs. 

But now, in the privacy of your bedroom, you could let it all out. You could bury yourself under the covers and pretend that the world around you didn't exist, your face buried in your pillows. Which is exactly how Billy had found you about 40 minutes after you'd gotten home. 

On any normal afternoon, you would call when you'd finished work to tell him that you'd made it home safe, and he would come over to yours and sneak in through the window. But when you hadn't called at your usual time, he'd started getting worried. And when you still hadn't called a half-hour later, he'd been so concerned that he'd decided to come and check that you'd made it home.

You heard the slide of the bay window opening, quickly wiping away the tears that were still lingering on your lash line. He stayed quiet as he climbed through the open window with a learned precision that would've made your mother rather worried as to just how many times he'd snuck into your bedroom in the past. 

"Baby," he started softly, keeping his voice low just in case you'd fallen asleep.  "Baby?" he started again, his steps getting closer to the bed until the mattress dipped below you, his knee pressing into it. "Are you awake?"

You nodded, aware that the moment you spoke he would hear the tearfulness in your voice and he would immediately slip into over-protective mode. The same way he had when Tommy had told you that your homecoming dress was 'too slutty'. The same way he had when Mr Jenkins had refused to let you resit your History final when you'd been too sick to come in for the first exam. 

"Are you sick?" 

You shook your head, shifting backwards slightly to make space for him to lay down with you. 

"Then what are you doing in bed at 4 pm, Baby?" he hummed, settling down beside you, his hand lifting to land instinctually on your hip.

"Bad day," you finally murmured, swallowing down the lump in your throat as he pulled the covers away from your face, revealing your red eyes and tear-streaked cheeks. 

You could see the way he tensed at the image of you, looking so darn upset that it made his heart ache for you. "What happened?" He lifted his hand from your hip, using his thumb to wipe away the tears from your cheeks.

"Nothing," you uttered, leaning into his touch and feeling yourself immediately calm with his presence. It was funny really. The two of you had always been so different and yet you seemed to have a calming effect on each other and always had done. When he was mad at the world around him, you seemed to keep him level-headed. And when you were overwhelmed he helped to keep you mellow. "It was just a lot," you added, leaning forward to press your forehead against his. 

"Was it Clint?" 

Clint was your boss. A podgy middle-aged man with nothing to show for his life but a shitty run-down diner, a car that broke down almost as often as yours did, and a receding hairline that had been getting worse and worse since he was about 19, according to your father. And sure, Billy knew he had been an asshole in the past, but never enough to get you this worked up. 

"I dropped a tray of drinks-"

"So, it was him?"

"He can't afford to lose $10 over a stupid mistake-"

"Baby. What did he do?"

Your bottom lip quivered, your hands bunching into Billy's t-shirt. "He yelled at me in front of the customers," you murmured, letting out a shaking breath. "It was so embarrassing," you added, feeling his arms wrap around you, pulling you forwards until you were resting on his chest. 

"You need to quit, Baby."

"I can't just quit," you murmured, shaking your head. "I need the money to keep my car running."

"You can get rid of the car and I'll drive you; damn things a deathtrap anyway."

You let out a soft sigh. "And when you're working? How'll I get around then, huh, genius?" 

Billy hesitated for a moment. "There are plenty of other places in Hawkins that would hire you, Baby. I just hate seeing you get all upset over that asshole."

"I'll quit as soon as I find another job, okay?"

"Deal," he hummed, lifting your chin to press a kiss to your lips. 

*Time Skip*

You were waiting on your front porch a week later, letting the warmth of the sun sink into your skin as you listened for Billy's car approaching. The moment you heard the engine roaring down the street, you were on your feet, skipping towards the road and meeting him at the curb.

"Hey Princess," he hummed, biting down on his bottom lip as you leaned down to look through the window at him. "You need a ride?" 

"That depends," you uttered, a lazy smile pulling at your lips. "Are you going to take me out to celebrate?"

There was a moment of sheer panic in Billy's mind as he tried to remember your birthday and your anniversary and any other special occasion, before giving up entirely. "What are we celebrating, Baby?"

"Well, you're looking at the new manager of Joel's Cafe on 6th Street," you hummed, doing a happy little wiggle when a bright smile spread across his face. 

Billy reached up to draw you closer, your head and shoulders through the window of the car and pressed a kiss to your lips. "That's my smart girl," he hummed against your lips, drawing a soft chuckle out of you. "Does this mean I can beat the shit out of Clint now?" 

"Billy," you chastised softly, pulling away from him to move around to the passenger seat. "You can't just go around beating people up."

"I can if they upset you," he grumbled, shifting the car into drive. "And that asshole spent an entire year making you feel like shit, so I think he's more than deserving of a beating." He hesitated for a moment, risking a quick glance in your direction. "Come on, Baby, how's he ever going to learn to treat his employees with respect if no one ever teaches him a lesson?"

You let out a soft sigh. "And when the police come knocking on your door looking for you?" 

He shrugged slightly. "It'll have been worth it."

Please consider supporting me for just £3 using Ko-Fi. The link is available on my profile page. If you have any questions about Ko-Fi please feel free to private message me. Thank you. L x