A Brief History of Falling for Billy Hargrove [harrington x hargrove]

14.

The first time Steve truly wished the time could stop was on their prom night. Not that they actually went to prom. They were once again sitting in the very last row of seats at the local movie theatre. Neither of them had any idea what the movie was even called, not that they cared all that much.

There was a middle aged man sitting somewhere in the front and a couple of kids scattered all over the place, but other than that, the auditorium was empty. Billy marveled over the way dust particles danced in the light over his head. If he wanted to he could reach up and let his hand cut off the motion picture. He didn't, but he liked having the option – it made him feel somehow powerful.

Steve leaned over, his breath hot on Billy's neck, "You could have been the Prom King."

The corners of Billy's mouth twitched a little, "Oh, I don't think so, King Steve."

"I would have shared my crown," whispered Steve.

It was Billy's idea not to go, not that it took lot of persuading for Steve to budge. Who were they to be forced to spend the night that was supposed to be the most magical memory of their whole miserable existences in a room full of sweating bodies and judgmental glares.

In that moment, there could have been nothing more magical than the peacefulness of the almost empty movie theatre, the low murmur of actors living the lives of nonexistent people in the background, the quiet rustle of their suits (that they wore even though they had no reason to) as they kissed in the superficial darkness, a beautiful lightness in their chests that only came with absolute and complete resignation and carelessness.

They decided to walk home afterwards, just enjoying the seemingly ethereal calmness of the streets. They didn't talk – there was no need for words. Step by step, they found themselves standing in front of Steve's house.

Neither of them felt like going inside and calling it a night just yet, so they climbed the fence and lied down onto the wet grass. And as they gazed up at the stars Steve was overcome by a sense of absolute insignificance.

"What is the greatest thing you've ever done?" he asked Billy.

Billy pondered the question for a long while. Then he shook his head. "I don't know. Nothing, I guess."

"Exactly," Steve said. "Neither have I. What is the point of living when there's nothing left of you once you are gone?"

Billy shrugged, "You and I, we were not destined for greatness."

Steve knew, deep down, that Billy was right. He knew, had always known, that his two minutes of fame would end the moment high school was over and then he would find a mediocre job, marry a mediocre girl, live a mediocre life. But with Billy came the almost insufferable hope that maybe, just maybe, there could be something bigger in stock for him after all.

The stars began to fade as the dawn brought in the new day. For an instance, the horizon was blooming with pinks and reds and oranges and the whole world looked almost perfect. Steve wanted to pause the time. He wanted to live in that moment between night and day forever. He wanted to listen to the symphony of Billy's heartbeat in the perfect silence of the sleeping city. He wanted to lie on the grass and feel the hard ground under his back. But then the sun rose and all the magic vanished along with the stars.

"Where do you want to go?" Steve broke yet another of their comfortable silences.

"Europe," Billy said. "I've always wanted to see the Eiffel Tower."

Steve couldn't really tell if Billy was joking or not. "Then Europe it is."

Billy shook his head and laughed without a trace of humor in the sound. "Why are you asking such stupid questions, Steve? You know damn well that I'll follow you wherever you go."

Steve didn't say anything. He just propped himself onto his elbows and leaned down to press his lips against Billy's.