Ships Harringrove Redemption Arc

Best Harringrove Redemption Arc Fanfics

The best redemption arc Harringrove (Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington) fanfiction on AO3, curated by popularity. There is something deeply hopeful about watching a person claw their way back from their worst self, especially when the narrative refuses to make it easy.

Stranger Things 14,000 Harringrove works 90,000 redemption works

Top Harringrove Redemption Arc Fic Recs

1 redemption arc Harringrove fic matched, followed by other top-rated Harringrove stories.

1

This Universe is Strange (I'm Stranger)

Redemption Arc

by Bamboozledddd

One green flash, and the next thing Harry sees is a town sign: Welcome to Hawkins. Consequently, the more she adapts to her climate, the more suspicious she becomes of the town activity, particularly a little girl with wide eyes and a number tattooed onto her wrist.Something must be done to fix this

6,916 kudos 175,762 words 33/35 chapters Mature
2

Don't Tell Me There's No Hope At All/ Together We Stand, Divided We Fall

by Straight_Outta_Hobbiton

Billy's used to being afraid of his father, and he knows he's not the only one scared. But it's one thing to know your stepmother gets smacked around every once in a while and another thing completely to find her body on the bathroom floor.He's a mess, Max is even more of a mess, and Joyce Byers is

17,466 kudos 59,161 words 42/42 chapters Mature
3

Here I Go Again

by HeckinaHandbasket

It was a new lifeguard.And he wasn’t a Beta, either.No, he was. All. Alpha.Now that Steve looked around, he noticed that the prime deck chairs all held posing, preening, perfectly coiffed Omegas, mostly mated but still blatantly ogling the new lifeguard.There was a lot of him to ogle.

13,889 kudos 66,439 words 23/23 chapters Explicit
4

meet with monsters

by lymricks

Harrington stops. Billy watches all the blood drain out of Harrington’s face and there wasn’t much color there to start with. Harrington lifts the bat again, tries to get to his feet, lands back on his ass. “Billy,” he says again, but it’s desperate now, not relieved. “Billy, behind you!”Four times

13,325 kudos 13,488 words 1/1 chapters Explicit
5

in waves

by lymricks

It’s March and it’s too cold for Billy to be shirtless and wearing shorts, but he hadn’t noticed until Harrington appeared and made him hold still. Harrington can’t seem to stop looking at the bruises. “What’s it to you if I miss a little school, Harrington?” Billy asks. He feels goosebumps rising o

10,958 kudos 45,095 words 5/5 chapters Mature
6

master of puppets, i'm pulling your strings

by orphan_account

And to make matter’s worst, which is just her luck, really, no surprises there, a car turns the corner, engine roaring, and slows down as it nears the school. Not any car either, no. Billy Hargrove’s blue Camaro is a one of a kind car here in Hawkins, and right now, it’s screeching to a halt. Great.

10,420 kudos 39,599 words 4/4 chapters Teen And Up Audiences
7

Incident at Castle Byers

by flippyspoon

Will learns something about Billy Hargrove and feels a little less alone.

10,065 kudos 3,639 words 1/1 chapters General Audiences
8

dried up, half full

by lymricks

Steve’s been coming out here searching for a monster in the woods. He’s finally found one.“What do you want, Hargrove?”

9,868 kudos 60,016 words 8/8 chapters Explicit
9

Princess Steve

by Squeakyshroom

Billy smirks at him, white teeth glinting: “Finish up, why don’t you? You’re making me regret choosing you to cheat off, King Steve-”“Don’t. Call. Me. That.”“Okay....” Billy says, mock sweet. “How about... princess?”(Or: Steve doesn't know if he hates or loves the pet names; all he knows is that Bil

9,866 kudos 15,095 words 3/3 chapters Explicit
10

Harringrove Stuff

by wrecked_fuse

A collection of art I haven't posted on tumblr/twt or full uncut versions.Rating includes from Teen and Up to Explicit.1 chapter = 1 post.Chapters and tags will be updated.

9,692 kudos 0 87/87 chapters Explicit
11

Second Thoughts

by CallieB

That night, 1984 Steve sits at the kitchen table, a pack of frozen carrots wrapped in a tea towel against his swollen purple face. "I'm fine," he says. It’s over. They fought the monsters, and they won. Now he can rest.Except in real life, the credits don't roll, and they don't get to skip ahead to

8,298 kudos 245,879 words 70/70 chapters Not Rated
12

Billy Hargrove Sucks

by flippyspoon

Hopper puts Steve in charge of sobering up a wasted Billy Hargrove one afternoon and suddenly things start to make sense. Until they really don't.

8,183 kudos 7,871 words 1/1 chapters Mature
13

all these to me

by lymricks

“I got our room key,” Billy says.“Our…?”“Alphabetical,” Billy answers, shrugging. Or: Three times Steve and Billy share (a bed, a meal, the truth) and one time they share (a virus).

8,014 kudos 9,715 words 1/1 chapters Teen And Up Audiences
14

something happens and i'm

by brawlite

(head over heels)Billy loves his job as at the Hawkins Community Pool. It's even better now that Steve Harrington's a lifeguard, too.

7,707 kudos 10,246 words 1/1 chapters Explicit
15

city lights lay out before us

by silvergalaxy

“I said, c’mere, Harrington,” Billy repeats, eyeing Steve like it’s a challenge.Steve doesn’t lose challenges.-Steve has been wandering through the woods at night for months, earning him the not-so-coveted title of Hawkins' resident nutcase. By the time Billy Hargrove rolls into town with his stupid

7,701 kudos 70,261 words 9/9 chapters Mature
16

Of Fists and Firsts

by ohmybgosh

Will witnesses a moment between Steve and Billy.

7,626 kudos 2,468 words 1/1 chapters Mature
17

Build It Better

by Anonymous

“Congratulations, Steve. You’re having a baby.”

7,487 kudos 29,884 words 7/7 chapters Teen And Up Audiences
18

Thicker Than Blood

by Doodsxd

“Trick you into what?” He was losing his patience. “Where is Max? Is she hurt?” “Dustin, look at him. His canines aren’t out, his pupils aren’t dilated, he’s not posturing.” He tried to argue with the other boy. “You can’t…” Harrington held Dustin’s bat for a second, stopping him from charging. “You

7,334 kudos 9,702 words 9/9 chapters Teen And Up Audiences
19

Ocean Child

by flippyspoon

“I’m Steve’s friend,” Billy said, pulling out into the road. “I’m Billy.”“I’ve never met you,” Erica said, scowling.“Yeah well, we don’t travel in the same social circles.” Billy wanted a cigarette.“You look like a criminal,” Erica said.

7,128 kudos 4,528 words 1/1 chapters Teen And Up Audiences
20

Who's Gonna Drive You Home?

by LaVeraceVia

“Steve,” she says again, with more urgency, and now he’s sure it’s Max. “I need your help.” Steve’s pulse goes into overdrive. “Max, what’s wrong? I can get Hopper- ”“No!” she cuts him off, talking fast. “No cops. There’s no time and, and…it’s so cold out there and—and there’s just no time okay? You

6,854 kudos 81,262 words 12/12 chapters Explicit

Find More Harringrove Redemption Arc Stories on AO3

Browse the full AO3 archive for redemption arc Harringrove fanfiction, sorted by kudos. Then read offline with Fanfict Reader.

Why Redemption Arc Harringrove Fanfiction Works So Well

Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington — Hawkins' two king-of-the-school rivals shared a basketball court, a brutal fistfight, and an antagonism the fandom read as charged from Billy's first 'pretty boy.' His season three death only intensified the fic output, much of it redemptive AU.

Redemption Arc — A character who has done genuine harm works to become someone better, earning forgiveness slowly or sometimes never receiving it at all. Redemption fics take a villain, an antagonist, or a fallen hero and ask what atonement would actually cost them.

The fallen king and the angry new king circling each other — fans dig into Billy's abuse backstory and Steve's softness to find the version where they save each other. There is something deeply hopeful about watching a person claw their way back from their worst self, especially when the narrative refuses to make it easy. That's why redemption arc Harringrove fanfiction is one of the most consistently popular combinations on AO3.

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