pretty boy like you // harringrove

10.

The next day, a Saturday, Dustin biked over to Steve's house at eight o'clock on the dot. He rang the doorbell about six times in a row before a very disheveled and exhausted Steve came to answer. "The hell, man?"

"We need to talk. We haven't seen each other in so long!" Dustin grinned wildly. He hoped he wasn't acting suspicious.

☆☆☆☆☆

Steve was suspicious.

Ever since Dustin showed up the hour before claiming he just wanted to hang out, really, Steve, not everything is an emergency, he'd been acting strange. Smiling too big, being all shifty. "Dustin?"

"Yeah, Steve-o?"

"Cut to the chase. Why are you here?" Steve raised an eyebrow, frowning. "You clearly have an ulterior motive."

"Why didn't you tell me you broke up with Billy?"

Oh. Right. "It didn't come up."

"You couldn't have brought it up?"

"Shit, Dustin."

"I know what he did." Dustin blurted.

"How?" Steve felt his blood run cold.

"Nancy heard from Chloe so then she told Mike, who walkie-d Max, who told all of the rest of us." Dustin said, far too quickly for a still tired Steve to comprehend.

"Great." Steve rolled his eyes. He loved the kids, he really did, but he didn't feel the need to include them all in his relationship drama.

"I know why he did it!" Dustin blurted.

Steve narrowed his eyes. "Yeah. I do too. I was just a body until he found a girl willing to be with him. I don't even think he likes boys."

Dustin blinked. "He definitely likes boys."

"How the fuck do you know?"

"You should talk to him. Or Max, even. About why."

"Let's just watch the movie."

☆☆☆☆☆

Around the same time, Billy dragged himself out of bed to drive Max to the Byers'. Max was acting strange, and Billy was going to ask about it, but then he realized it was probably on Steve's behalf. "Is anyone else going to be there?"

"Just Will and El. You should come in."

"Does Joyce know what I did?" Fuck. He didn't even think of what Hop and Joyce would do to him. "Do they? Will and El, I mean."

"Joyce doesn't know, but El and Will do."

"Oh." He hung his head. El and Will were his favorite of Max's friends.

"Just come in. You're their favorite, too."

"Alright, fine." They stepped out of the car, and Billy followed Max inside.

"Hey, Mrs. Byers!" Max said cheerfully. "Billy's here!"

Joyce walked over, kissing Max on the cheek and giving Billy a hug. She'd hate me if she knew what I did to him. He shook his head. "Hi, Mrs. Byers."

"How many times do I have to tell the both of you? Call me Joyce." She smiled. "Oh! Billy, I almost forgot to tell you. Will and El said they needed to talk to you alone. They're in his bedroom. The second one on the left. Max, com'ere. Talk to me. How's Lucas?"

Billy really did not want to talk to them. He assumed that Max had told them, and Will totally idolized their relationship and El was fucking terrifying. By the time he walked to Will's bedroom, he was nervous sweating. He almost laughed at his old self, who wasn't afraid of anything. He stood outside the bedroom, listening to Will and El angrily mutter back and forth. "Well. He hurt Steve. Should we help?" That was El. It hurt more than he cared to admit.

"I don't know," Will said. "I mean, his dad... that stuff Max said?" Fuck.

"Billy is good. I like him. He has pretty hair, and he makes Steve better." Billy nearly started crying at that. "His papa is like my papa. He was afraid."

"I think you're right." Billy walked in then, and they jumped.

"I heard you need to talk to me?"

"Yes," Eleven said. "It's serious."

"I figured. You know about Steve." It wasn't a question.

"Yes. We know why. Max told us. About your papa. The other boy from California."

"You shouldn't have done what you did," said Will, staring at him. "But we understand. We want to help."

Billy scoffed. "Nothing can help. He completely hates me. And even if he doesn't, Chloe and Nancy will never forgive me."

"Nance forgave you after you hurt Jonathan," Will offered. "I don't know Chloe very well, but I know how much she adores him. I think if you told them they'd understand."

"You need to." Says El. She was deadly serious, and it scared Billy. "He loves you. You need to fix it."

"Yeah, maybe. Let's just watch a movie. I know Max wants to see you two."

☆☆☆☆☆

Steve hated himself. He swore that he didn't care what he had to say. Yet there he was, sitting next to Billy on the couch, offering to hear it.

"There was another boy. In Cali. We messed around and stuff. It was never serious." Steve was silent.

"We got caught. My dad walked in on us." Billy looked down at his lap. "He ran. David, he ran. I stayed. Landed me in the hospital. Broken ribs, dislocated shoulder, concussion. The works. We left for Hawkins right after I got out." They were both crying. "The night before the party, my dad told me he knew I was hanging out with you. Said there would be consequences if there was anything going on. I was... trying to protect you."

"Why didn't you tell me? We could've taken a break, or something." Steve sighed. "Fuck, Billy."

"It sounds stupid now, but I panicked. I thought you wouldn't want to wait, or you'd be afraid to stay with me."

"Of course I'd wait. Look, I don't get it. My parents suck, but they aren't like your dad. I don't know what it's like, and I don't want to pretend I do. But I do know what it's like to be afraid. Next time, just tell me."

Billy turned to look at him. "Next time?"

"Yes, you asshole. You're not forgiven, but... I kinda can't live without you. And I think the kids have some master plan to get us together. May as well save them some steps." He smiled. "I do expect to be exclusive, though." Billy nodded frantically.

"Yes. Um. Of course, yeah, fuck, I wasn't expecting that... Yes." Steve kissed him then, and everything was good.