Unexpectedly Enough

Fourteen

The bright lights of the hospital room shone down directly on Billy as he peeled his eyes open, groaning as the pain suddenly hits his body and washed over him. He looks around the room slowly as he blinks in the light, and his glance falls on the boy sleeping next to him. His head laying on his arms, face down on the bed from where he sat in the chair. Steve. He smiles softly when he sees him.

He takes in Steve's hair, the brown 'floof' atop his head, each strand sprawled into different directions. His skin was pale, as always; he never could tan. He was wearing his usual double denim, jeans with a jean jacket and white shirt. He looked peaceful, but the circles underneath his eyes gave away that he hadn't slept properly in days. But Billy still thought he looked pretty, he always has in his eyes. He looked at him, and his heart rate would immediately go up, and he would get the same butterflies in his stomach he always had, even before they knew how they felt about each other. He loved Steve.

Billy was drawn from his thoughts when Steve began stirring slightly in his sleep, his eyes fluttering open slowly as they adjusted to the light again. He looked up to see Billy looking back at him, and he blinked a few times as if he thought he was dreaming. Then he smiled widely, because this was the first time Billy had been awake since that day in the parking lot.

"Billy", Steve breathed out; "oh my god baby you're okay." He found himself grabbing Billy's hand in his own as he leaned over to press a kiss to Billy's head, not being able to help the tears of relief that pricked at his eyes.

"Yeah...yeah I'm alright. What uh...what happened?", Billy asks, still slightly dazed.

"You don't remember?" To which Billy shakes his head.

"You're dad-" Steve sighs; "Neil, he beat you in the grocery store parking lot. Hop was driving home and saw the crowd so he checked in on it, and he found you there. Neil still beating you, and Hop went ape shit on him, cuffed him and sent him to the station. He's been there ever since. Hell he's gonna be there for a while."

Billy has a blank expression on his face as he listens to Steve, and he begins to remember the events in the parking lot, and then he remembers the stinging pain in his side; and his whole body.

"Careful baby, don't move too much", Steve says when he sees Billy wince and clutch his side, "you're pretty beat up. Broken rib, broken nose, bruises everywhere, a couple deep cuts. Twenty stitches in total. God I could kill that guy."

"Steve", Billy says, his voice a little more stern than usual, he doesn't use the tone often.

"Sorry...I", Steve stammers, knowing Billy doesn't like it when he gets all upset over Neil, because Billy's known that his whole life, and the last thing he wants is for Steve to be so worried over him, Billy should worry about Steve, not the other way around.

Steve's eyes suddenly widen as he stands and reaches for the call button; "shit, I should let them know you're awake." Billy laughs at him because even after everything they've been through, Steve's memory was terrible in situations like this.

It was cold and later at night when Steve and Hopper helped Billy out of the chief's car, after he had finally been released to come home from the hospital. They helped him walk to the front porch, and then up the steps; Hopper and Steve on either side of him before Hopper knocked the secret code on the door and El opened the door. They walked Billy into the cabin and set him down on the couch, where he immediately sank back and let out a breath; having no energy at all.

"Are you ok, baby?", Steve asks, a crease appearing in his brow.

Billy nodded tiredly, "''m fine, just tired."