Work Text:
“Billy wait, what do you mean we-“
“Are you fucking deaf Harrington?!” Billy takes the lighter in his hand and chucks it off somewhere. Steve doesn’t register where it lands, he’s just trying his hardest to keep standing up right. “We. Are Done!” Each word is like a dagger into Steve’s chest. “Over! Take your fucking preppy ass to Chicago with that stupid bitch and don’t fucking come back!”
“Billy what the FUCK is wrong with you?!” Steve shoves him against his Camaro, hard, spit flying from his mouth as he pleads to the blonde. “I told you I’ll come visit! On holidays and... and well I don’t know what my schedule will be like, but I’m going to try! Where is this all even coming from?!”
“..ev..”
“You and I both fucking know you’re not coming back to this shithole town. I can’t fucking leave, and you can’t fucking wait to go. If I go he’s sure as hell going to kill Max, and I don’t need the sad looks from you and her shitstain friends on my conscience.”
“So what? You’re going to let him kill you instead?!”
“Who fucking cares if he does,” Billy spoke coldly, venom beginning to seep out of him with every vowel that leaves his mouth. “You don’t need me and I don’t want you.”
“St..e.”
“Who are you to fucking tell me what I do and don’t need?! You think, what? I’ve been with you for the last year because you’re a good lay?! God Billy you can be so fucking dense it’s infuriating! I can wait but we both know I can’t wait HERE! For fucks sake, I’d wait a lifetime for you because I fucking lov-“
“STEVE!”
He shoots up out of bed, chest heaving and face wet. Robin is kneeling down in front of him with a panicked expression carved into her face.
“Wha.. Robin?”
“Jesus Christ Steve, you had me freaking out! You were sobbing in your sleep, and I was shaking you and yelling your name and god… It was bad this time wasn’t it, buddy?”
Steve did his best to calm his breathing, the remnants of the nightmare rippling through his body and in his voice confirms Robin isn’t downplaying what she just heard. “Yeah Robs, was- wasn-“ He takes another second to let a sob escape his lips. “Wasn’t. Good.” She offers him some space to get up, but he can’t decide if the weight in his chest will allow him.
“Was it..?” The look she gives him, one of concern and understanding, lightens the load in his heart just a bit.
“Yeah. Billy.” She gives his shoulder a reaffirming squeeze before standing and heading out from his room.
“You know,” She calls back solemnly. “Max and everyone else graduated last year. Don’t you think if… I mean he would’ve come by now, if he wanted-“
“Yes, Robin,” she jumps a bit as Steve comes rushing out from his bedroom, hair haphazardly styled for the day ahead, “I am fully aware that my years of holding out a candle for him are probably for nothing. Thank you. Sue a guy for trying to keep hope…” Hurt flashes across her face, and he’ll apologize for it later, but he just isn’t in the mood right now.
They dance around each other in a well practiced rhythm as they prepare for work. Robin packs their lunches and Steve butters their slightly burnt toast to eat along the way. Robin will probably finish his piece today. Steve catches Robin glancing at him with those big, endearing doe eyes and his stomach rolls. “Just forget it, Rob. I’m fine.” He lies. “Let’s get this shift over with, and I’ll buy you a drink after.”
“Okay!” She beams a smile at him, but Steve can tell when Robin is forcing it, especially for his sake. The two grab their keys, coffee, and burnt toast then descend from their too small of an apartment. They spill into Steve’s BMW and head off further into the city.
This is going to be a long ass day.
Billy wakes to a dull throb in his side and a stinging on his head. The sun is barely beginning to peek through his blinds. Images of the previous night come and go like a tv that can’t decide what channel to play. He doesn’t remember much after the beers he drank, if it was a fist or a boot that struck his ribs, but flashes of a pissed off Jason cross his mind and his stomach lurches.
He retches into the waste basket next to him, spilling his stomach's contents of cheap beer and capitulation.
Nothing I can’t fucking take, he thinks to himself. He peels out of sweat soaked sheets, tossing his underwear to the side, and stumbles to the bathroom. Flicking on the light, he’s greeted with an even ruder reminder of the night previous: scratches and dried blood smudged on the side of his face accompanied by a chunk of missing hair.
Shit… SHIT. His stomach rolls again, but it’s empty, sending him heaving and coughing over the toilet. As soon as the feeling of nausea subsides, he hurriedly goes through his medicine cabinet until he finds an old electric razor. He stares at himself in the mirror noticing the exhaustion etched into his features; seemingly permanent, like a marble statue.
Defeat?
Almost.
Resignation at the very least.
With the press of a button the razor whirs to life. Hair and a few tears cascade down into the sink below as the razor dutifully completes its work. He splashes some water on his face and looks himself over, thinking how much he looks like his father and that brings bile to the back of his throat.
He tosses the razor back into the cabinet more forcefully than is probably necessary, but like he gives a fuck right now. As he walks out of the bathroom, he takes out the gold earring in his left ear. The one that's been left untouched for five years. A small warmth. A reminder. The only reminder he's allowed himself since him. He tucks it away into a small box. The idea of it being ripped from his ear, tossed away, and discarded under the guise of "staring at another man" for too long sends shivers down his spine as he hides the closed case in the folds of his clothes.
Billy goes to run his fingers through his hair but is startled by the pricks his half assed crew cut gives him. That's going to take some getting used to. He digs through his dresser until his fingers brush against the hard bill of a baseball hat. Billy pulls it out and tosses it on the bed next to his phone that is currently displaying 3 unread messages from “J”. He ignores them for now.
Billy moves through his small apartment about as well as one would expect a hungover bundle of nerves to. Knocking into a chair, almost dropping a coffee cup, spilling a bit of sugar. Once the bitter concoction reaches his lips, he starts to feel like a person again. He goes through his mail stacked on the counter, mostly bills with a couple pieces of junk mail he promptly rips and tosses out. He isn’t really expecting much else to be there, anyways.
He goes back to his room and pulls open the blinds, wincing at the sun’s feeble attempts to cheer him up when he does so. He goes over and collects his phone. He stares at it, fingers hovering over the messages. He rips the bandaid off.
J: 1325 Jones St.
J: Be there at 12.
J: You’re paying.
Billy scoffs at that last line as he types a response.
B: I paid last night.
He gets a response almost instantly.
J: And you’re paying today.
He glances over to his wallet, knowing all that's in there is a ten dollar bill and a rolled up joint.
B: Fine.
He gets a notification that Jason liked the message, and he has half a mind to whip his phone out the window. He refrains. For now. Billy checks the time and sees he has a few hours to kill before meeting him… Wherever it is, he decides to go back to sleep for a bit. Maybe he’ll wake up to find this is all a dream.
A sick joke, more like.
Steve can still see his breath as he walks into the cafe. Good Ole “Demo Dog,” named after some apparently “cute” monster dogs from some TV show. Robin’s long distance girlfriend Vickie opened it up not long after they moved to Chicago. She always offered Steve a job there, but he was caught up trying to make it in the big corporate world, until it broke him one too many times. He accepted her offer after that, thankful that the tips he makes are great. It's a bit awkward when he sees old “coworkers” there, but they tip the best when he acts a little extra pathetic.
Today is a day just like any other. There is a line of morning usuals with their suits and briefcases waiting to get their caffeine fix. Robin flips the sign to open and unlocks the door. The job isn’t terrible most days. It keeps the time flying when you’re working with some of your best friends, after all. It's easy, most of the time, to get lost in the monotony of making beverages and the occasional breakfast sandwich.
Sometimes though the monotony can be a bit too much, and Steve’s mind will wander. It appears that today is one of those days, and Steve’s mind is thinking about fiery, and sometimes scary but usually in a hot way, blue eyes, the smell of cheap cigarettes and cheaper beer, hot breath on his neck-
“Steve?” He startles at Robin appearing through the door to the dining room.
“Shit!” His heart is pounding, and his face is probably ten shades of wrong right now. “Yeah?”
“Uh... Cover the front for a bit?” She eyes him knowingly.
“Yeah, yeah, gotcha.”
Steve heads to the front of the counter to take over for Robin. He notes the clock: 10:30. Over halfway done with work already? Nice! People slowly trickle in as most are working by this time of day. Steve watches out the window as leaves float by, carried through the air by the Chicago wind tunnels. Everyone who passes by is bundled up, looking like they're struggling to keep their footing.
There are so many parts about Chicago that remind him of home. Although, Steve knows distinctly that Hawkins isn’t home. Not anymore. The Party has all moved on by now. Max and Lucas went to California. Mike, El, and Will moved to Texas for college, and Dustin is with his girlfriend. Too many bad memories, too. From his breakup with Nancy, his parents' messy ass divorce, Billy. Fuck, who even knows where he would be. Max would, his brain supplies. Eventually, Robin reappears with some prepped ingredients to put in the sandwich line.
“Lunchtime Stevie?” Time flies when you're moping. She nudges him away from the cash register and checks the till. “Oh, shoot, Can you get some quarters from Vick while you’re back there?
“Yeah, of course!” He tosses her an easy smile as he walks towards the back. “Vickie! Quarters!” He calls to the back office.
“Okie dokie, oooone second!” She calls back.
Steve heads over to his storage cubby and pulls out his baby blue lunchbox, the sight of that color always sending a little pang to his chest. He sits himself up on their cozy, little too small, loveseat that they have in the back room which serves as a break area. He sees Vickie poke her head out from the office.
“Got those quarters Ste- Oh, lunch break?” He nods. “Okay, I’ll just go giv- Rob?!” As if summoned, Robin comes rushing through the entryway to the back, pulling the curtain behind her with an inscrutable look on her face. “Woah are you oka-”
“SHH!.” Robin scrambles to put both her hands over Vickie’s mouth, which causes both her and Steve to give her a concerned look.
“What, are we getting robbed or something?” Steve asks, half joking. It's always been a slight concern of his, honestly.
“Steven. Shut. UP.” Robin hisses at him just above a whisper across the room.
Steven? Shit, this is probably serious. He begins to get up when a voice calls from the storefront.
“Hello? Saw someone walk back there!” Vickie pulls Robin off her and just gives a look that says you need to quit drinking those extra espresso shots in the morning and goes out to the customer.
“Robin, what the fuck?” She runs over to him and pushes him down as he tries to get out of his seat.
“No. Steve, no do not, I repeat, do NOT go out there right now, please.” He sees she really means it, but morbid curiosity usually wins out in the end. She’s pulling on his arm to no avail as he moves to the curtain, peeking through the side of it.
All he sees is Vickie currently taking an order from someone at the counter. He can’t see who though, there’s a bagel display in the way. After a few moments of attempting to overhear, a guy in a grey sweatsuit and a baseball hat leaves the counter and heads towards the booths tucked away in the corner of the dining room. Steve is unable to quite catch his face so he dips away from the curtain before Vickie comes back through.
“Robin, what's the big deal? Is that guy like a serial killer on the loose or-”
“IT’S BILLY” She blurts, immediately covering her mouth, eyes wide.
He takes one large step back and feels like he’s back in Hawkins, in that dimly lit parking lot the night he lost one of the most important people to him.
“What… What do you mean it’s Billy, Robin?”
“It took me like thirty seconds to realize it because he was wearing a baseball hat and like, when EVER have you seen him wear one of those? And I was so used to seeing that earring you got him dangling by his face and when I didn’t see it… Okay look it doesn’t matter, I don’t think he saw me! Woah, Steve? Steve, hey!”
He’s going to be sick.
He doesn’t know how he got back to sitting on the love seat, but now Robin is in front of him saying something, he can’t quite make it out. Not even sure if she’s really making noises or just funny faces, until she flicks him on the ear and his brain jump starts again.
He does the first thing that comes to his mind, which is pull out his phone, scroll to his favorites, and hits #4. The line rings 5 times before it's picked up, with Steve holding his breath the entire time.
“Steve..?”
“Why is your brother in Chicago.” He says it as more statement than question.
“What..? Steve, do you know what time it is here?”
“Almost 9 in the morning you’re fine, answer my question Max.” The gulp on the line is audible, she knows he’s serious.
“Steve I really don’t know what you-”
“Billy. Is. In. The. Store.” He grates his teeth. “Don’t act like you didn’t know, Max.” He usually has much more patience for his kids, but not today. Not when the love of his life who crushed his heart is now twenty feet away from him for who knows what reason.
He hears a sigh come through the line, then-
“He moved there a couple months ago with some tool from high school.” Steve’s stomach bottoms out, and he attempts to keep his lunch down as best he can.
“A couple of months? Seriously Max? Like how you moved to California a couple of months ago?”
“Steve, come oon.”
“Who is the guy.”
There’s silence from the other end of the line.
“Maaax, come ooonn.” He spits back.
“Jason Carver.”
Steve hears Robin gasp, and he shoots her a look, of course she was listening an inch away.
“Jason Carver? The same religious asshole who would always give Robin and I shit? The one who gave Chrissy Cunningham a black eye for Christmas when he found out she was friends with Eddie Munson?” Steve is practically shaking in his seat.
“I haven’t seen them together, but they have the same name so… Probably.” Steve can picture the sheepish look she’s probably sporting, but he’s too blinded by pain to care too much.
“Why didn’t you tell me any of this before!? What the fuck Maxine!” He’s hurt, and made sure she knows it. Dropping her full name always let her know she was on his shit list.
“Because I didn’t want to have a conversation like this!” A pause. “Besides, he told me not to… You know I love you, but trauma bond and all that. I would’ve told you if he didn’t make me promise! I hated it.” Sometimes, Steve really wishes the two of them didn’t patch things up. Usually when they were conspiring against him, but in this moment, to spare him some heartbreak that seems is now inevitable. “What are you gonna do?”
“I… don’t know.” And honestly, he didn’t. It would surprise Steve if Billy showed up after all this time just to… What? Rub this relationship with Jason in his face?
Robin grabs the phone from him.
“Max, Robin here. Did Billy say anything to you recently? Like maybe he knew where we worked or something like that? I mean like, why would he show up after all this time?”
“Your guess is as good as mine. Not like we say that much to each other other than ‘Hey shitbird.’ ‘How's it going douche head.’ The news about Chicago and Jackwad is the first tidbit of anything he’s shared with me in the last like, year. To be honest, he didn’t seem thrilled.”
“Okay but we both know “not thrilled” is Billy Hargrove’s default setting.” Max chuckles at that.
“Yeah well, it was to get away from Neil, if anything. He couldn’t afford to do it alone with how much money his dad was taking from him.” Robin hums an acknowledgement.
“Okay well… I guess we’ll let you know what happens?” Her voice goes up two octaves, making her sound very sure of herself.
“Okay. Hey, put Steve back on for me?” Robin passes the phone back to a much paler Steve Harrington.
“Yeah, Max?” His mouth is dry.
“He’s still in love with you, I think.”
Steve scoffs into the phone.
“Sure has a greeaat way of showing it, Red.”
“Okay, yeah, I know, but he hasn’t been the same since you guys broke up. He just… I don’t know if he gave up or what but that's what it seemed like to me. Threw himself at Neil to take beatings for me more than he should’ve and just looked… Gone.” Bile rose to the back of Steve’s throat. “I don’t think this thing with Jason was anything other than a conveniently timed excuse to get away from his dad. There was no way he was staying in that house after I left.”
Steve’s not really sure what to do with all of that information, but it's… something, at least.
“Thanks, Max. I’ll call you later.” He clicks the end call button before he can hear her reply.
At some point Vickie had gotten an order, probably his order, ready. She’s rummaging through the fridge and pulls out one of those pre-packaged fruit parfaits and, before he knows what he’s doing, Steve is already taking it from her and is halfway out the door with the rest of the order.
Robin can only watch in horror as he walks out onto the floor.
“Robin?” Vickie chimes. “Care to..?” Right, she’s lost. It's not that they totally forgot to mention the love of Steve’s life to Vickie but like, Steve wasn't gonna bring it up so soon, and she certainly wasn’t going to say anything until HE wanted to say something.
“I’ll uh, just, um… Can you go out there and just make sure everything is okay?” Don’t, like, go over there over there. Just, make sure nobody throws a punch?” She winces as she makes her request. It's not even like they ever expected a situation like this. The two of them would have sooner expected to see that baby blue Camaro that's so unsuspiciously the same shade as Steve's lunchbox come crashing through the front window.
Vickie dubiously obliges as she goes back out behind the register, pretending to count the till. All Robin can do now is watch in horror through the curtain, trying her best not to be seen by either of them.
She spies Steve emphatically dropping the food off. The look on Billy’s face is definitely screaming “Holy fucking shit I did not know you worked here” as much as it is “Man do I need a nap.” Steve crosses his arms and juts out his hips, probably rolls his eyes too. Whatever they’re saying to each other it's surprisingly calm, albeit extremely tense. Steve turns from Billy, but he grabs Steve’s arm. She flinches. Part of her thinks this might just be a hallmark moment in the making. She hopes anyway, prays really, but the sight of Steve ripping his arm out of Billy’s grasp sends that thought to a screeching halt…
She’s a good foot away from the curtain as it flings in her face, Steve storming past with tears silently falling.
“Hey!” She shuffles to keep up with him “What happened?!”
“Doesn’t matter, Rob.”
“What do you mean it doesn't matter!? I mean, judging by the look on his face it didn’t seem like he knew we worked here, maybe this was all just dumb luck and-” Steve holds his hand in her face.
“It doesn’t. Matter. He’s meeting someone. Said he’d try to hurry out. Just… Tell me when he’s gone.”
“Steve…” He doesn’t say anything else but she catches the tears on the table. She holds him close and rubs his back.
Vickie appears through the curtain and makes eye contact with the two of them from across the room. “Guys, someone joined him,” She whispered. Before Steve can say anything Robin is already on top of her.
“Did the new guy look like he could’ve been a preacher boy turned small town bigot in a previous life? Or like, a couple years ago at least?” She thinks for a second and-
“Yeah, I can definitely see that.”
“Shit…”
“Rob, who are they?” Robin looks back at Steve and then takes Vickie into the back office.
“HEY! You!” She whisper-yells at Steve who, at this point, is attempting to chew his hard plastic water bottle straw into a thousand pieces.
“Huh?”
“Stay there. Do not get up, and do NOT go out there until I’m done filling Vickie in.” Steve waves her off.
But…
Of course, he isn't going to do that.
Of course, as soon as the office door closes over, Steve is peeking behind the curtain because he can’t just leave well enough alone.
He sees the two huddled over in the corner. They might think they're out of sight but a perfectly placed mirror lets Steve see their seats, Vickie’s idea, just to keep an eye on shady customers. Case in point. Steve can’t hear what they're saying, but he can see Billy’s face. Fuck, he looks so… Tired. Didn’t really notice at first but… shit. He sees Jason reach for one of Billy’s hands on the table and-
“The hell?” Escapes his lips.
“Steve!” Robin yanks him back from the curtain. “What the shit are you-”
“No, Rob, look!” She rolls her eyes, but Robin needs little invitation to spy, they’re best friends for a reason.
“Uh, where?”
“Mirror.”
“Ah, oh… Um, that does… not look good.”
Steve takes a deep breath and schools his face as best he can.
“I’m going out there.”
“Steve, no!”
Chicago is no Hawkins. Billy knows that for damn sure. Practically has to board up the Camaro from lack of use. It’s too fucking windy, too fucking packed, and there’s too much traffic. Why he agreed to move here is… Well… Not beyond him. He knows exactly why he agreed to pack up in the dead of night, being snuck out of town like contraband drugs. Because that's exactly what he is to Jason.
Never been something to parade around and be proud of.
Only something to keep in the back of his closet.
It worked for him, probably the reason he’s still alive at least.
The ghost of once held hands prick at his fingers, echoes of cozy dinner conversations ring at the back of his skull. Billy pushes them down, blaming it on the cold.
All the times he told Max “NEVER let a guy treat you like that.” or “If he hits you once he’ll do it a thousand times,” Begin to force their way into his thoughts every time his side aches. Yeah, he knew Jason was a manipulative asshole. The difference is Billy knows whenever Jason is manipulating him. He isn’t stupid. Not sure when he stopped caring it was happening, though. Better to be around one MANIPULATIVE asshole rather than both a manipulative asshole and an abusive one, he thought. That plan turned out GREAT.
Chrissy should've been a sign. THE sign. A small part of Billy once hoped that it was different, because he wasn’t really into chicks. He should’ve known better than to have hope. Should’ve known what happened to her was bound to happen to him. As if he would ever be the exception to anything.
His phone vibrating breaks his thoughts. Hopefully he’s cancelling.
J: Meetings running long. Order my food.
Billy lets out a long sigh. Of course.
His phone alerts him when he makes it to the address. The sign above the door reads “Demo Dogs Cafe.” Never heard of it.
Billy throws open the door and is greeted with the smell of actual good coffee. At least this trip won’t be a total waste. He pulls his hat lower on his head, it stings a bit as it rubs the scabs freshly formed by his eye. There’s movement in the corner of the room, someone must’ve just dipped into the back.
“Hello?” He calls as he approaches the counter. “Saw someone walk back there!”
A few moments later a small, red headed woman comes out from behind the curtain.
“Hello! Sorry about that. What can I get you?” It almost looks like she’s examining him, he ignores her glare and looks at the menu.
“Two coffees, one with” He sighs, “Oat milk and a caramel drizzle, with a breakfast wrap.”
“Sausage, or bacon?”
“Doesnt matter.” It does matter to Jason, but who is Billy to not tempt fate?
“The other coffee?”
“Black. Oh, and one of those yogurt cup things, too, with granola and berries.”
“A Parfait?” Her smile is almost blinding.
“Yeah, that. Thanks.” He watches as she enters the order and flinches when the total rings up.
“That will be $12.42.” He looks into his wallet, already knowing he doesn’t have enough.
“And… without the parfait?”
“Oh.” He watches her brows pinch the slightest bit. Bitch. “$9.87”
He slides the ten dollar bill out of his wallet and onto the counter. The woman asks if he wants his change, but he waves her off, moving over to a table tucked into the corner of the cafe. He sits with his back to the wall and waits, foot bouncing against the tile floor.
He pulls out his phone and sends a message off, letting Jason know he ordered food. Not sure why, but he does. He knows he won’t get a response. He begins picking at the sticker on the corner of his phone case. A flaming skull that's fraying some at the edges. Memories of winning it from some darts game at the Hawkins High Spring Fest float to the front of his brain. That daydream is brought to an immediate halt when a tray of food is brought down on his table with a slam.
“Hey, what the shit!” He looks at the fuckass who threw his food and drinks and he almost throws up for the third time that day. “Steve?”
“Billy.” His face is unreadable now, those skills have long since rusted.
“What are you doing here?”
Steve motions up and down at himself.
“I work here.” Billy follows his hands. The apron with the logo he saw above the front door should’ve been a dead giveaway, but sue him for not being on top of things today.
“Shit… Fuck, I’m sorry. I won’t be here long, swear.” Billy shifts uncomfortably in his seat.
“Or.” Steve crosses his arms over his chest and gives him that mother hen pose Billy used to make fun of him for. “You can take your food and go.”
“I… can’t.”
“Why not?” If looks could kill, Billy would probably be dead.
“Look, Steve, it's not like I came here for you! Didn’t fucking know you worked here! I came here for someone else…”
“Yeah, Jason?”
“How the fuck..?” Billy rubs his hands over his face and groans, wincing when he mistakenly rubs over sore skin. “Shitbird.”
“Yeah, I called Max. Don’t worry, just found out you were still in the same state as me, let alone a five block radius.”
Steve turns to walk away and mutters an “enjoy your fucking food” under his breath when Billy juts out and grabs his arm. Steve doesn’t turn.
“I needed an out… He was there. I wasn’t getting away from Neil without any help.”
“Could’ve called me. This whole time, you could’ve. I’d have come back for you.” Billy feels his heart break as Steve rips his arm away. Watching him storm towards the back door brings him right back to that night he thought he’d see Steve for the last time.
It wasn’t even seconds later when the chair in front of him gets pulled back and Jason sits down. It's one whirlwind after another.
“Who was that?”
“Waiter.” Billy doesn't look at him while taking a drink from his coffee. The bitter beverage levels his head out, just enough.
“And you needed to hold his hand because?” Billy sees the sneer cross his face out of the corner of his eye.
“Wasn’t. Just getting his attention.” He scans over the tray in front of them. “Forgot a spoon.”
Luckily, Billy realizes.
Jason shifts back in his chair. “Hey, whatever you say Hargrove.” Jason schools his face as they drink their beverages for a bit and Billy watches as he eats his food. “Whats the hat for, huh?”
“Bad hair day.”
Jason Scoffs.
“Yeah right, with those pretty locks you have? Let me see.”
Before Billy can object Jason quickly leans over and knocks the hat off of Billy’s head. His hack job and Jason’s handiwork is now on full display for the, thankfully now empty, cafe. The look on Jason’s face is nothing less than furious.
“Now, why would you go ahead and do something like that to your pretty hair? You know how much I love it.”
“Yeah, right. Bet you loved it so much cuz it looked like Chrissy’s the night you beat the shit out of her.” He spat the words at Jason, hoping somehow they’d kill him. Billy goes to reach for his hat when Jason grabs his arm, nails practically piercing his skin.
“You better watch what you say, Hargrove. Wouldn’t want the same thing to happen to you.” The look on Jason’s face makes Billy seethe. “Or should I call your father and tell him where you live so he can be the one to do it? Tell him you ride my dick so good that I keep the lights on in your shitty little bachelor pad for you, free of charge. Tell him that he raised a great little cock-sucking fa-”
“Gentleman! How are we enjoying the lunch?!”
Billy’s eyes are so trained on Jason that he doesn’t even notice Steve appear at the table until his claws release from his wrist. Half moon shaped slits are bleeding in a couple spots.
“Well I’ll be fucking damned. Steve Harrington.” Jason stands to meet Steve eye to eye and Billy rises to his feet, watching the two. “Not surprised to see you working in a place like this.”
“Yeah, and not surprised to see you still being an abusive piece of shit.”
“Oh come on now, you know how good ole’ Billy Boy is. Likes it rough. You two used to be boyfriends, right?” Billy catches how Steve flinches at the way he says it. “I’m sure you remember.”
“Pretty sure he wasn’t going around making me bleed.” Billy knows that isn’t the truth. To say the two got off on a rocky start was an understatement to be sure.
“Yeah well, can’t be helped I suppose. Needs a little help listening. Now, why don’t you go be a good little waiter boy and get us some silverware so Billy can eat his shitty food and we can be on our way.”
“Actually, I’m afraid you’re disrupting the cafe, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.” Steve cracks him one hell of a customer service smile, and Billy chuckles quietly. Jason looks none too pleased.
“The place looks pretty empty to me, I think we’re just fine.” Steve holds up his hands and shrugs.
“Sorry, I don’t make the rules. Boss lady said it’s my turn to take out the trash so I just-”
The next second moves in a blur. Jason winds up a punch aimed right for Steve’s face and Billy sends the table between them flying. Coffee and yogurt are halfway up the window next to them. Steve moves enough to only get grazed before Billy has Jason on his back. Jason gets a good punch in on him before Billy brings his fist down on that vile, obnoxious mouth. His knuckle stings, probably split on a tooth.
There’s yelling in the background, but Billy can’t make out the voices. Two familiar, one not. Billy punches down again as Jason scratches at his face, nicking his cheek. He feels something crack against his fingers, hopefully a nose. He can’t really tell who he’s punching, the face in front of him is flashing between Jason’s, his father’s, and his own.
He lands maybe one or two more punches, not entirely sure, before he’s pulled off by several people.
“Get OFF ME!” He snarls at Robin who ducks a swipe and keeps pulling him back along with Vickie. Steve is pulling Jason up on his feet and shoving him towards the door.
“Told you, trash day!” He has him halfway out the door when Jason calls back.
“HAVE FUN LIVING ON THE STREETS, HARGROVE! FUCK YOU!” Steve shoves him out and locks the door behind him. In the corner of his eye he sees Jason head back up the street after flipping him off through the storefront windows.
Billy’s chest is still heaving, he breaks free from the two girls and bee-lines it for the door.
“I’M GOING TO KILL HIM! I DON’T GIVE A SHIT ANYMORE!” He’s grabbed again around the midsection, pulled back away from the door. “GET OFF OF ME, STEVE!”
He yanks at the arms around him, but they don’t budge. His chest is writhing, vision blurring, tears fall from his face that he does his best to ignore.
“He’s gone, Billy! Jason is gone!” Steve yells in his ear.
“He’s not gone until he’s six feet under the FUCKING ground!” He can’t tell if he’s snarling or sobbing at this point, but his legs give out on him regardless. A warm body crashes down next to him. Solid. Familiar.
“God damnit… God fucking damnit…How could I…” That's all Billy is able to mutter between shuddering breaths. He vaguely notices Robin as she presses a switch on the wall, causing the warm glow from the neon “Open” sign to vanish. At some point someone brought him water that he can’t bring himself to drink, and Steve… Steve is still at his side. Silent, but there. Steady, but for how long.
He gets his answer soon enough.
“Are you good?” Steve asks.
Billy nods a yes, and they both stand. He feels a solid hand on his shoulder, just realizing before it's already gone, the ghost of its heat quickly vanishing with it.
“Steve wai-”
Robin steps in between them, and he watches over her shoulder as Steve disappears behind the curtain.
“Buckley, please.” She gives him a look and, unlike Steve’s face, he can read hers perfectly.
I’m sorry.
“Billy, you didn’t talk to him for years. Didn’t call, write, no carrier pigeons or smoke signals even.” He tries his best not to roll his eyes out the back of his head. “He’s still hurt, doesn't even know why you ended things with him!”
“I had to…” His response shocks her.
“What… What do you mean you had to?” Billy really hates her at this moment. Hates how those brown doe eyes in her head have the same effect as Steve’s: letting him feel like he can spill his guts.
“I couldn’t just… I didn’t want him to be so far away and constantly worry about me. I needed to stay and be there for Max so she didn’t get the beatings instead of me. Better if he just moved on and forget me before I became a nameless tombstone or a fucking murderer. Could never really tell which was going to happen first in that house.” Robin tries her best to stifle a laugh at his last comment.
“Well, be that as it may. THIS” she motions emphatically to the spilled coffee, toppled table, and his bleeding arm and fingers, “was a lot. He’s gonna need time before he’s ready to talk. Just a little! You probably do too, I imagine.” He can’t deny that.
“Rob?”
“Huh?” Robin turns around to the red-head who walked up behind her. “Oh, thanks.” She handed her a first aid kit.
“And for you! Billy, right?” She holds out another yogurt parfait with a spoon, a shy smile on her face.
“Yeah, thanks, uh...”
“Vickie.” She leans into Robin, and they smile at one another. Billy begrudgingly takes it before he’s whisked away by his non-injured wrist to another table.
“What do you think you’re doing, Buckley?”
“Patching you up!” She opens the kit and grabs some alcohol wipes along with bandages. “You might be a jerk, but you’re Steve’s jerk which makes you my jerk, and I don’t like seeing my jerks hurt. Emotionally, or otherwise.” She looks up at him and offers a lopsided smile. He averts his gaze but holds out his arm all the same.
“Not so sure I’m anyone’s jerk, anymore.”
“You are, Billy. You’re still his. I don’t really think that’s ever changed.”
They sit together in silence for a while. Her dabbing an alcohol wipe over the crescent shaped cuts; him sucking up the pain and eating some yogurt. It’s stupid, really.
Once Robin is done they both stand. He heads to the door, but she catches him glancing at the back curtain.
“Call him! But, maybe later tonight.” He looks towards her now, unsure. “Steve promised me drinks after work, but something tells me we’re just gonna be at home with a big pile of pizza and too much ice cream for only two people to eat.” She casts him a knowing smile, he nods and exits the cafe.
When Billy makes it back to his apartment, the locks are already changed and what few belongings he’s brought with him are strewn about the hallway. He panics. Quickly he sorts through the clothes and cassettes that littered the ground until he finds that small box tucked into a hoodie. He holds it close, as if the greatest treasure in the world was contained inside. It was, too. With some degree of separation anyways.
Once he has everything packed in some boxes he found in the trash, he goes down to the parking garage and pulls the cover off the Camaro. He takes a moment to just breathe. Even with only a half tank of gas and some clothes to his name his chest feels lighter than it has in years. There is still some weight there, though. He reaches into his pocket to pull out his phone, thumbs over to his favorites, and presses #1.
The phone rings only once before it's picked up, but the person at the end of the line doesn’t say anything. Billy speaks first.
“Hey…”
“Hi…”
He takes a deep breath.
“Still willing to come back for me?”
There's a pause, and Billy can feel the knot in his stomach begin to form. Then-
“Are you hungry?”
1.5 Years Later
The sun peaks between the blinds in Steve’s room as the warm summer air begins to filter through. He takes in the sight he’s grown addicted to seeing every morning: legs woven through his own, golden locks falling over his shoulder, calloused fingers grasping at his sides and chest. He murmurs something into Billy’s ear, and it's enough to lure him into the waking world.
“Mm... Mornin’” Billy stretches as much as he can in the position he’s in before he begins to pepper the crook of Steve’s neck with kisses. The hands that were just holding him in sleep are now running through the hair on his chest, down over his stomach, and slipping dangerously low beyond the waistline of his underwear.
“Billyyy,” Steve groans. “You had your fun last night, I told you we had to get up early today.”
Billy’s hands pause as he laughs into Steve’s neck, “Aww come on, what's the fun in that, Pretty Boy?” And as much as Steve doesn’t want him to, Billy listens and rolls over. “We’re all packed anyways, you sure we don’t have time?” Steve catches the way Billy arches his back, feigning a stretch, and displays his excitement just hidden from view under the sheets. He catches Billy’s eyes, and he’s none surprised to see him waggling his eyebrows. This man will be the death of him.
“We’ll have plenty of time for that at the hotel. Now, come on.” Steve feigns slapping Billy in the nuts before snickering at his recoil, almost sending him over the edge of the bed. “Let's get going.”
Their early morning is full of languid kisses in the shower, wandering hands in the kitchen, and shared glances during the drive into the city. Steve’s fingerswander through Billy’s hair, the sun kissed locks gleaming in the early light. He fiddles with the golden earring hanging from one lobe and admires how good it looks, even after all these years.
“You know, not that I miss your short hair, but this really suits you more.”
“Sure you don’t want me to buzz it again?” Billy winks, and Steve is appalled.
“Don’t even think about it!” They’re laughing together as they walk into Demo Dogs. The two wave to the new cashier as they head into the back where Robin is stuffing her face with a sandwich and Vickie is huddled in the office.
“Stv! Blly!” Robin swallows the food in her mouth and chugs a drink of her morning coffee. “No way, it's time already?” She checks her watch, then pouts at the two.
“Hey now, we said all our good-byes last night for this reason. No being sad today!” Steve remarks with a wobbly lip.
“Ugh, fine.” Robin runs up to the two men and wraps her arms around them both. By now Vickie has overheard the commotion and has come to join the pile of limbs in the middle of the kitchen.
“My offer still stands, you know,” Vickie pokes Billy in the head over Steve’s shoulder.
“Yeah yeah, we’ll call if we think California could ever use one of these dumps.” He says it to her with no ill-will, only mirth.
“You better!”
The group heads back out through the store, four smiles, some teary eyes, and hearts full of love.
“Take SO many pictures! The grand canyon, the redwood forests, Yosemite, I want pictures of it all! Even the shitty motels you stay in.”
“Easy there, Buckley.” Steve is already rolling his eyes. “You gotta pay for the motel pictures we're gonna be taking.” Three of them groan while Billy is sticking out his tongue and laughing at his shitty joke. He hops into the Camaro and turns over the ignition. Robin, Vickie, and Steve hug each other one last time before he joins his boyfriend.
They slot their fingers together as Billy puts the car into drive, slowly pulling away from the curb and out onto the road. Their next several weeks are filled with sight seeing, junk food, and plenty of alone time. Eventually they arrive in California with Max and Lucas to greet them, and a whole new journey to look forward to.
One that they’re both happy to take, together.