Harringrove Ao3 Favorites Part 2

Under the Blanket

Triggers/Warnings: Mentions of smut (very mild)

Author: flippyspoon

Author's Summary: N/A

Billy was always his most vulnerable right after having sex. This had not always been true. In the beginning he'd practically fled the scene after having sex with Steve but then again, that was probably because...Billy was always his most vulnerable right after having sex. Even more so than when he came to Steve's house broken and bleeding or when he suddenly got emotional for seemingly no reason. After sex Billy curled up to Steve, softly smiling and happy to hear Steve talk and sometimes he'd talk about whatever too and often it was more revealing than Steve might have expected.

Like so many things with Billy, Steve noticed this and felt without deliberately thinking it that it wasn't something he could ever take advantage of.

But sometimes he wanted to because Steve wasn't sure if...

Because Billy had never said the thing...

Steve really wanted to hear the thing. He was closer to Billy than anybody he'd ever known and they'd never said the thing.

Because what if it wasn't true? The question tortured Steve all too often.

It even tortured him now as Billy was curled up to him, the two of them naked under the sheets. Steve sat up a little against the pillows but Billy was lying down, and it made him seem smaller and wasn't it amazing how Billy didn't mind that? He seemed happy enough to seem smaller now, Steve's arm around him. He was softly scratching Steve's chest. Just that afternoon Billy had almost beat the shit out of Chester Berkhart before Steve had stopped him. Billy had a bunch of sides, Steve had discovered.

Still, the question tortured him. He couldn't help himself.

"Billy..." Steve felt like he was leaping off a building. "Do you love me?"

He glanced down at Billy, who turned bright red, redder even than when he was about to come especially hard. "Um..." Billy's chest heaved. "Well yeah um...yeah. Ugh."

Abruptly, Billy pulled the covers over his head.

Steve snorted and tugged on the covers but Billy was holding them tight over himself.

"Hey," Steve said. "Hey, did you say yeah?"

"YES," Billy said, as if admitting to something terrible.

"Are you...are you hiding under the blankets because you're blushing?" Steve said, and couldn't help but laugh.

"No! Maybe! Shut up!"

"Well, lemme under there," Steve said.

"No!"

"Oh my God."

They fought for the covers and Steve was laughing even if Billy wasn't and he finally managed to make his way under the sheet Billy was stubbornly still hiding under having lost his comforter territory. In the bright light of the room they could easily see each other under the sheet and the air was warm and smelled like their lovemaking.

Billy was staring at him, eyes bright and wide.

"Billy," Steve said, snuggling up to him, and kissing his nose. "I love you too, you know."

"Alright," Billy mumbled. "Fine."

"You're weird," Steve said, chuckling and kissing Billy between his pecs. "But I still love you."