Stranger Things - Imagines (Book 2)

Billy Hargrove X Reader - Spirits

A/N - This chapter was inspired by the song Spirits by The Strumbellas. This one is set about a year after the end of season 3, and obviously, Billy survived this time around. I hope you all enjoy it.

This summer had been shaping up to be one to remember, and for once, it seemed like you could say that in a positive way. Sure, last summer had been memorable, but in all honesty, you would've preferred that it hadn't been. You wished you could push the thoughts of flesh monsters and half-dead boyfriends out of your mind. Hell, you'd practically turned to praying that you would get through a day without thinking about it. But this year was going well. Billy was back to his full, loud self, messing around to impress his friends. And Hawkins seemed relatively normal, or at least, as normal as Hawkins could be.

You were perched pretty happily on a sun lounger in the dark backyard, clustered around with the other girls, all chatting away with a couple of drinks whilst the boys messed around in the pool, playing some game you'd not been paying enough attention to to understand. 

"Go on man," one of the guys called out, drawing your attention over to where Billy was hauling himself out of the pool. "It'll be so dope," he continued, calling after your boyfriend, who was shaking his head, sending droplets of pool water flying, a small smile pulling at his lips. 

You grinned as he approached, poaching your drink from your hand to take a small sip and wrinkling up his nose at the sweet concoction the girls had made for you. "That's revolting," he teased, leaning down to press his lips to yours in a quick kiss. "Much better," he hummed softly, met by a peel of laughter from your little cluster of girls. 

It was funny really. A couple of years back, when Billy had first joined the school, it had been common knowledge that you didn't date. You didn't want a boyfriend. You were totally happy being single. And then, Billy had come strutting into the school and you'd gone all goo-goo-eyed within seconds of him smiling at you. The transformation had been something pretty spectacular, and the same could be said for him. Billy had gone from one of the most notorious ladies men at Hawkins High to the soppiest, cheesiest lover-boy any of them had ever met. 

"What's Frankie got you doing, huh?" you hummed softly, still grinning up at him. 

Billy shrugged slightly, trying his hardest to be nonchalant, even though he knew you definitely wouldn't approve of what he was about to say. 

"He had this idea for a diving competition," he started, his tongue darting out to wet his bottom lip. "Off of the canopy," he added softly, pointing up at the shelter above you and watching as your brows lifted quite suddenly, staring him down. 

"Well, that's stupid," you muttered, biting down on the inside of your cheek slightly. "You told him 'no', right?" There was a single beat of silence and then you were letting out a soft sigh. "Billy, what if you miss? You'd break your dang neck-"

"I'm not going to miss the pool, Baby-"

"It's stupid," you interrupted, shooting him a firm glare.

Billy released a deep sigh. "Baby, it's just a bit of fun," he pressed, watching as you shook your head in disbelief. "Come on, all the guys are going to do it."

"Yeah, well, I'm not dating all of the guys, am I?" you bit at him. "Bill, I'm not watching you get carted off in an ambulance again; 'specially not for something as stupid as some ridiculous diving contest," you reminded him. 

He swallowed slightly, his head tipped to the sky in frustration as he let out a soft sigh. When he glanced back down at you, he finally noticed the tears brimming in your eyes. You weren't just being difficult for the sake of it. You weren't trying to ruin his fun. But God, you were so terrified of ever having to see him the same way you'd seen him last summer that you were practically on the verge of begging him to stop doing stupid shit for everyone else's entertainment. 

"Okay," he murmured softly, crouching down to look you in the eye. "But you got to make a deal with me, alright?"

You hesitated for a moment, your eyes squinting slightly as they met his. "What sort of deal?"

"Come swim with me whilst the guys are being idiots? Keep me company?" 

A soft snort of laughter slipped out of you. "You just want to get me down to my swimsuit," you teased gently. 

"No Baby," he started, feigning offense at your accusation. "I just want the pleasure of my best girl's company," he pressed on, using his hand to knock your head forward slightly so that he could press a kiss to the top of your head. "Getting to see you in that pretty swimsuit you're wearing is just a happy coincidence," he added, drawing another soft snort out of you. 

"Idiot," you uttered, nudging him back slightly to get to your feet, pulling your shirt over your head as he continued to grin at you, watching you like a hawk. 

"Yeah," he agreed softly, letting out a soft yelp when you threw your shirt in his face. "Good thing I've got you here stopping me from being too much of an idiot then, huh?" he pressed on, wrapping his arms around you as soon as your shorts were off, and launching both of you into the pool, causing an almighty splash. 

You coughed as you came to the surface, trying your hardest to get your bearings with your wet hair covering your face and your nose stinging from the chlorine. 

Billy reached up, pushing your wet hair out of your face, chuckling when you glared playfully at him. "There's my pretty girl," he teased, leaning in to give you a lingering kiss, letting your arms wrap around his shoulders, keeping you both afloat.

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