#joyce and hop too though they aren't together yet

[gayofthefae]

Thinking again about how Nancy and Jonathan fight in season 3 with valid reasons but don't break up and home even Lucas and Max are established to repeatedly break up for very flimsy reasons but STILL are confirmed not to have by Mike saying "your girlfriend was spying on us" in 3x06.

People with better reasons to break up stayed together. People who "always" break up didn't. And yet Mike and El, whose miscommunication was cleared up within a day of El speaking to him again, remained broken up because she'd learned she preferred it that way regardless.

[every-dayiwakeup]

Steve's been on the phone for- it didn't matter!

All Billy wanted to do was cuddle with him, and Steve had the nerve to put up a hand and say, "In a minute, Muffin."

More than a minute later, and Billy's going crazy. He's pacing around in the kitchen, juggling lemons in the air (when he sees an article on snakes he ends up dropping the lemons on his head), huffing and puffing...

He knows he's being unreasonable. Billy is many things, but he's not stupid. He can't be with Steve every minute of every day. His... buddy has a life to live, and friends to see.

Billy didn't have any friends. He told himself he didn't mind, and he was almost starting to believe it.

As cliche as it sounds, his mother had been his first (and best) friend. And then she left.

Things with Steve are weird. They've slept together a few times (actually sleeping, and only hints of the other thing) and they certainly spend a lot of time together. But they haven't put a label on whatever they were yet.

Putting a label on a relationship frightened Billy. It made things all... official. Besides, Steve wouldn't want to be Billy's anything.

Damn intrusive thoughts.

He ignores reason and stomps into the living room, where Steve basically ignores him.

Fine. If all Harrington was in this for was his body, then he would simply have to milk it.

He starts with his wife beater (a weird fucking name for a shirt, and it kind of unnerved him, to be honest), taking it off slowly.

What if Steve doesn't like it?

No, no. There was only one remotely good quality about Billy, and that was his body. The rest was, quite frankly, a dumpster fire.

Next he unbuckles his belt, and begins to take off his jeans. It's a bit of a struggle, but he gets them off.

He stands before Steve in his underwear, and he clears his throat.

"What, Bills? I said- oh my lord." Steve drops the phone, and Billy jumps at the clatter it makes when it hits the floor.

Oh no. He doesn't like it. He's disappointed. He's-

"Sorry, Steve-"

Steve cups his ass cheeks and pulls him close. "This was a nice surprise."

"You were on the phone forever." Billy cringes inwardly at his voice. It sounds so unlike him.

"Sorry, Nance was just checking in. She wanted to know if I was up for going out for a movie-"

Billy is already trying to shimmy his pants up his ass, wishing he had two extra arms so he could plug his ears.

"And I told her I wasn't gonna go. That I was with you."

Billy stops mid-hop, staring at Steve.

"I'm not ashamed of people knowing that you're my boyfriend, babe." Steve's smile fades. "Unless you don't-"

Billy shakes his head immediately; how could Steve even think for a second that he wouldn't want to be in a relationship with Steve Harrington?

They're both idiots.

"I do. I'd like... to be... what you said just now," Billy says awkwardly. If Max were to see him now... she would never let him hear the end of it.

Steve's face illuminates like Joyce Byers' Christmas lights, and he kisses Billy, gripping the part of his hair that's not so close to his skull.

"The little show you put on... any reason for that, Muffin?"

"I... I wanted your attention."

"Well, you certainly have it now." Steve then frowns, and adds, "But Bills, I hope you do know... I'm not in this because I think you're hot."

Ouch.

"I-I mean not that you aren't! You're really, really gorgeous- too gorgeous for a shithole like Hawkins! I just... didn't want you to feel as though I was objectifying you. I wanted you to know I was in it for more than your body."

"What else is there?" Billy finds himself whispering, on the sudden verse of tears. Was he on his period or something? Jesus, get a grip, Hargrove!

Steve has a determined look on his face, and he replies instantly, "You're brave, you're protective, you're smart as a whip, you tell funny jokes, you're resourceful, you have a way of seeing through bullshit, you put on a front but I know you love Max more than anything-"

"Steve-"

"I'm not done! You're a good swimmer, you're good with cats, you don't cut off Robin when she goes on ramblings, you're genuine, you're dependable, you're passionate, you care deeply even if you don't always know how to show it, you stay in that house with that fucking scum because you won't let him break your little sister-"

"Like he broke me?"

Steve cups his face, wiping away the tears he didn't realize had been trickling down his cheeks. "You're not broken, Billy. I have no intention of fixing you. You aren't a fucking house, and you don't need to be fixed. You just deserve to-to have good things, and I wanna be one of those good things."

Billy smiles, sniffling. "You're the first good thing I've had in a while, Steve."

"Not the last, I assure you!" Steve says in his "King Steve" voice, hands on his hips. "So do you wanna... fool around? Or do you wanna cu-"

Billy jumps in Steve's arms, and the brunette oofs, stumbling back a little.

"Am I too-"

"I'm stronger than I look, alright? Chasing after a bunch of children and my favorite person in the world keeps me fit as a fiddle," Steve huffs, booping Billy's nose as he lies on the couch, positioning Billy right on top of him.

"Can you breathe?"

"If I weren't breathing, I would be dead, William."

"Yes, thank you, Captain Obvious."

"I heard that!"

"It's good to know your ears haven't failed you yet."

"You asshole, I'm not even that much older than you!"

"Uh huh. I saw a grey hair this morning. Didn't wanna say anything-"

"The movies are sounding really tempting right about now." Despite Steve's pouting, he grips Billy's hips tighter, letting him know: hey, I'm not going anywhere.

Billy sticks his tongue out at the landline, and snuggles deeper into the forest of hairs on Steve's chest.

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