Random OneShots

Princess Picasso pt.2

By: underratedandunknown on Ao3

Harringrove

~~~~

On Friday morning Steve can be found up in his attic alone as always surrounded by both old but mainly new different paintings. He's also panicking about it. The new paintings are of Billy. Billy laughing, Billy grinning, Billy focused on school, and so many others. All Billy.

It started on Tuesday after his encounter with Billy in the gym. He only meant to draw him once, from the images in his nightmares but he needed a reference and that meant looking at Billy more then he started doodling him and his particular facial expressions. Now he's surrounded by Billy, his charm, and copious amounts of gore. Steve's favorite one is Billy staring down at his English book with his forehead crinkled in a serious expression, completely focused on the book and nothing else. He only hopes Billy never finds out about his stupid little fascination.

~
After dropping Dustin off at his school and getting his stuff from his locker Steve sits down in his usual seat. He has his head in his arms on his desk whenever he hears someone drop down into the chair beside him. He barely registers who it is because of how tired he is until he feels a tap on his arm "You alive over there princess?." he can hear Billy whisper.

He squints his eyes open and makes eye contact with him but he doesn't quite see him. Billy looks worried somehow but Steve can't tell if he's imagining it or not due to how blurry everything looks and feels. He thinks Billy says something else but he honestly cant tell but before he can think of asking the English teacher scolds him "Mr. Harrington, no sleeping in class." He didn't even know she was there.

So he lifts his head, rests it on his hand and zones out staring at the chalkboard like every other day. But today he can't tell if the voices and sounds are real or not.
~
At lunch Steve is in his usual spot under the bleachers blurrily sketching Billy's confused face from the morning when the gym doors open as quietly as the old loud doors can be opened. Steve just assumes it's the janitor and keeps sketching and dozing while the person is moving stuff around.

"Hey princess Picasso." Billy's voice appeared behind him startling him and causing him to drop his sketchbook and making him dizzy from jerking his head up. Steves holding his head in his hands when Billy lightly grabs his forearm and makes Steve look at him "come out here i have something for you." Billy says quietly. He doesn't know why but Steve crawls out, grabs his notebook and follows Billy who's holding his forearm leading him.

Billy doesn't lead Steve out of the gym, but over to one of the wrestling mats laid out on the floor with a small blanket and pillow laid out on it. Steve looks over at Billy confused "Billy, what is this?" Normally Billy would be surprised at the fact Steve just called him Billy and not Hargrove but he can tell Steve is too exhausted to care.
"Princess, you clearly need a nap."

"I'm fine, I just went to bed late." Steve mumbled being very unconvincing.

"We both know that's not -" before Billy finished his sentence something in Steve's notebook catches his eye. More importantly a drawing and not Steve's usual drawings, this drawing is of Billy.

"What's this?" Billy says while taking the open notebook out of Steve's loose grip. It takes Steves a second to process why that isn't good and he tries to snatch it back but fails just like before. Billy grins looking over at him after looking through the rest of the drawing of him in the notebook "Have I become your muse Princess?" Billy teases. Steve knows he's blushing and he feels humiliated. "No you're just very expressive and fun to sketch." He tries to defend himself.
"Don't worry Pretty boy, I don't mind." Billy winks and Steve lets out a breath of relief
"But I am worried about you not sleeping, so lay down and take a nap. I have someone getting notes for your next class." Billy finally gets Steve to lay down on top of the makeshift bed but before Billy can get up to leave Steve grabs his wrist "Please don't leave." Steve mumbles already half asleep.

"I won't, princess." Billy genuinely smiles before Steve completely falls asleep.

Billy is only sitting beside Steve, and looking at Steve's drawings of him, for fifteen minutes when Steve's eyebrows scrunch together in pain and he starts tossing and turning. Billy quickly reaches over and holds his shoulder. This causes Steve to wake up and lunge at Billy. Billy easily dodges him then grabs both his shoulders.

Steves shaking and crying while looking around everywhere except for Billy as if something is going to attack him at any second.

"Steve, look at me." Billy tries to get to Steve but he doesn't seem to hear him.

"Steve!" Billy yells, finally shaking Steve back into reality and making him look at Billy.
"Hey, you okay there princess?" Billy spoke softly.

Before Billy can say anything else Steve lunges forward and collapses into Billy's chest and starts sobbing while clinging to him.

It takes Billy a second to react before he wraps his arms around Steve and holds him close while rubbing circles into his back. Billy continues to reassure him the best he knows how to, even though he's copying what people say in movies.

They stay there for a couple minutes that feel like forever until Steve slowly stops crying and pushes himself off of Billy looking panicked.
"Oh my god- I'm so sorry!" Steve rushes out as he jumps up.

"Calm down, It's fine." Billy lightly holds Steve's arm trying to calm him down but Steve just pulls away, grabs his notebook, and quickly shuts it before turning around to face Billy again.

" I- I'm sorry about all of that. It won't happen again. Um, bye I guess." Steve rushes towards the gym's outside exit looking as red as a rose. Billy doesn't know what to say but he finally speaks up before Steve gets out the door.

"Wait!" he calls out getting Steve to turn around and look at him "does that happen every time you try to sleep?" Billy asks with empathy seeping into his voice.

Steve almost answers but instead he turns away and mumbles "I have to go." and leaves a worried Billy alone in the gym.

Steve skips the rest of school and once Steve gets home he screams into his pillow about how stupid he was and how Billy will never even want to be around him now. Especially with how he ran away.
He's such a coward. A coward in love