Billy Hargrove Headcanons

Keep in mind this is my interpretation/portrayal of the character. I based these HCs on research and my own personality traits/experiences.

I will update this list whenever I come up with more HCs.

## Casual

* **Classic 80’s Bad boy**

Billy embodies the classic 80's bad boy persona. He is mean, aggressive, charming, dominant, and self-centered with a devil-may-care attitude. He has no qualms about breaking rules and does what he wants. Billy is not afraid to speak his mind, calling folk out, and is straightforward about his desires. He is known to be a troublemaker, with a violent and unpredictable nature. Despite all this, he exudes a confident and irresistible charm that makes him the quintessential bad boy.

* **Looks/overall hygiene**

Billy takes great care in his appearance and grooming. He is obsessed with his hair and spends up to 20 minutes perfecting it each morning. He wears clothing that reveals some skin and boosts his confidence, often accessorizing with jewelry such as necklaces, earrings, and rings. Billy has a skull tattoo on his shoulder and desires more tattoos in the future. He always wears the same cologne, ARAMIS, which is a mixture of fresh and bitter herbs combined with cigarette and leather scents. To cover up any cigarette odor, he relies on mints or gum. Although he places a high value on personal hygiene, his domestic habits are quite messy and he can often be found cursing while searching for lost items.

* **Sports/Gym**

Physical exercise is an essential part of Billy's life, providing a release for stress and emotions. He is an avid gym-goer, exercising at least 5 times a week to stay fit. Billy is also a fan of surfing, although this was a favorite pastime from his days in California. He has a natural talent for basketball and was a member of the Hawkins High basketball team. In short, fitness and wellness are a big part of Billy's life and he enjoys staying active and in shape.

## Soft

* **Kind of a nerd?**

Billy is an incredibly intelligent young man. He excelled academically and had a promising financial future until the mind flayer disrupted his plans. Billy was always highly organized with his schoolwork and loved the challenge of outsmarting his teachers. He has a passion for cars, especially fixing them up, as evidenced by his restoration of a junk car with his friends. In his downtime, he enjoys reading mystery novels and watching action, horror, and supernatural movies. He finds relaxation in losing himself in these stories.

* **Feels awkward showing/receiving affection**

Despite appearances, Billy struggles with awkwardness when it comes to expressing or receiving affection. He can become flustered and unsure of how to handle compliments, as he is not accustomed to receiving them. However, when he goes out of his way to do something kind for someone else, he downplays it, not wanting to admit how much he truly cares. He may even try to hide his embarrassment by turning away or making a sarcastic comment. Despite his tough exterior, Billy's genuine acts of kindness speak volumes about the depth of his emotions.

* **Can't lie**

Honesty is Billy's weakness. He struggles to lie and it's usually quite obvious when he's not being truthful. He tends to ramble and overthink his words, and if he realizes that someone isn't falling for his lie, he'll just come clean and resort to using his charisma instead.

## Angst/Sad

* **Brain damage**

Billy suffers from the aftereffects of brain injury caused by his abusive dad when he was only 12 years old. This is the reason why he has issues controlling and regulating his emotions; increased irritability, agitation, impulsivity, angry outbursts and possibility of manic states. He never received the correct treatment for the injury, which is why it still affects his brain long after it’s been healed.

* **Anxiety**

Getting to know him better and observing his behavior is key to discovering what lies beneath the surface. Despite his expert masking, there are signs of his inner turmoil, such as feeling on edge, difficulty sleeping, excessive worry over small matters, and hands that shake during stressful moments.

* **Emotional repression**

Billy copes with difficult emotions by keeping himself occupied or distracted. He has a tendency to suppress negative feelings and turn his attention to things he enjoys, like working in his garage or exercising. He also frequently redirects conversations to avoid confronting his emotions.

## Harringrove

* Although he won't admit it, Billy has a soft spot for Steve. With just a little bit of charm, Steve can get Billy to do just about anything.

*“Tch, I’ll choose Steve over my family any day. Blood ain’t thicker than that ass.”*

Harringrove