Stranger Things - Imagines (Book 2)

Billy Hargrove X Reader - Ego

A/N - Today's chapter was inspired by a song that made my teenage self feel like a total queen whenever I would sing along: Ego by The Saturdays. I hope you all enjoy it. 

Sitting in front of Billy like this had to be one of the most anger-inducing things that had ever happened in your life. You had been in love with him from the very first moment his friends had introduced you, mere weeks after he'd first come to Hawkins, and your relationship had moved pretty quickly too. He'd met your parents within weeks of your first date. He'd confessed to you about his mom leaving and his damaged relationship with his dad. He'd leaned on you when he needed support and you'd been happy to offer it to him. You loved him. 

And now, six years in, he was sitting you down and telling you that things just weren't working anymore. He needed to go it alone. He needed to be single and see where that would take him. All whilst you tried to make sense of where this had all come from. 

A couple of days ago, you wouldn't have been shocked if he'd asked you to marry him. A couple of days ago, you'd been talking about weddings and houses and children. And now, he wanted none of that anymore, or at least, he didn't want it with you anymore. 

"Are you listening to me?" he uttered, watching as your head lifted to look at him, eyebrow raised. 

"Are you done?" you responded, your eyes so fixed on his that it made him feel a little sick. When he nodded, you let out a soft sigh. "You need to look around you and realise what you have here," you murmured, watching him shift awkwardly on the spot, shaking his head. "Look at us," you pressed on. "I have always been here for you. I have gone out of my way to make your life easier. Shit, I let you live in my house behind my parent's backs for an entire summer when you're dad was being an asshole." 

"And I appreciate that-"

"Do you?" you interrupted, swallowing down the lump in your throat. "Look, if you want to pretend that your life is going to be better without me in it, that's your prerogative, but in a week's time, you're going to realise that you don't know how to be an adult without me right there fixing everything for you."

Billy hesitated for a moment, scratching at his jaw slightly. "What do you want me to say?" he murmured. "That I'm sorry?"

"I don't want you to be sorry," you bit at him. "I want to understand why you're leaving me."

He let out a soft sigh. "I haven't been single since we were 17-"

"Yeah, that's how relationships work, Billy. When they're going well, you stay in them," you muttered, jaw tight as you stared him down, watching as a soft sigh slipped out of him. 

"I just want to see what's out there," he finally breathed out. "I want to experience the real world. Outside of whatever this is."

A sharp, humourless chuckle slipped out of your before you could catch it. "Whatever this is," you repeated. "Right," you pressed on. "So, we've been together for 6 years and you still don't know what we are?" 

He shook his head. "That's not what I meant-"

"If you want to go off and live your best bachelor life, then go. Do it. Have a great time with as many random women as you can lure in, but don't come crying to me when it isn't everything you think it's going to be." Billy opened his mouth as if he was going to speak, his expression softening slightly as he realised that you were being serious. "I'm not going to pick up the pieces for you this time. You don't get to just pick and choose when you want me."

"Baby-"

"This is your choice," you reminded him, clearing your throat as you finally got to your feet. "You don't want me, that's your decision, but I'm not going to sit around waiting for you to change your mind and call," you pressed on, walking into your bedroom with him hot on your heels. 

He watched helplessly as you pulled a suitcase out from under the bed, dropping it onto the mattress and throwing it open. "Where are you going?"

"Me?" you answered, turning back to him with a furrowed brow and shaking your head. "I sorted out the apartment. I sorted the references and paid the deposit and filled out all the paperwork. This place is mine. I'm not going anywhere," you pressed on, a small smile pulling at the corner of your lips. "I'm sure you'll find somewhere else to stay until you find your feet, though," you added softly, moving over to the wardrobe and pulling open his side, tugging out item after item and dumping them into the suitcase.

"It's not like I don't love you-"

"I honestly couldn't care less about how you feel about me," you uttered, stopping momentarily. "You want to end it; it's ending. You don't get to stick around and mooch off of me." 

"Baby-"

"No." You shook your head, letting another humourless laugh fall from your tongue. "You've always needed a fucking reality check," you told him, head still shaking. "It's just a shame it had to be me, right?"

Billy's tongue darted out to wet his bottom lip as he shifted awkwardly on the spot. "I didn't want to hurt you."

You shrugged slightly. "Make it easier on me. Don't come crawling back." 

He swallowed down the lump in his throat before nodding. "I'll keep my distance," he promised. 

"Good," you uttered, going back to packing up his stuff in the hopes of getting him out of the apartment before the adrenaline wore off and you had a total meltdown.

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