Roomies {Harringrove}

Days Later

"Stay in bed a little longer, okay?"

"Baby... I don't want Max to think-"

"But Billy... C'mon. Please? For Steve?" Steve gave him a pout and kept his hands in his hair, knowing he was pushing all the right buttons as Billy relaxed into his hold further. They were in his bedroom, the bed small enough that they had to squeeze together quite tightly, not that either of them minded. Billy's arms were wound round Steve's waist as he rested his head in his chest and Steve was gently cradling his head with one arm, using the other to cast a spell on the poor man.

"I just... Steve, I've got to go, you know I do. Max can't know. She can't."

"Okay, so she doesn't know! We can just tell her... You were keeping me company and we fell asleep. Or that I'm scared so you came to comfort me. Or some other masculine macho bro thing that makes platonic sense. I don't- I don't know, dammit."

"I'm pretty sure if I go from hating you to cuddling you like this in the span of a month, it's still kind of suspicious. Now let me go, Harrington. You can play with my hair when she leaves for school, I have to make some food and quick."

Billy made swift work of things in the kitchen. He heard Max yelling "I'm leaving", whizzing round to see her grab an apple and walk out of the door. He swiped her skateboard away, earning an indignant "hey" and shoved her lunch into her chest, wrapped in foil in a ziplock bag. She eyed it for a moment, then looked up at him questioningly.

"Sorry. I know your mom always makes you lunch before you go to school. I was only trying to make sure you ate something, if that's okay with you. I... Forget to eat too, sometimes," he mumbled with a painful swallow, knowing fully well he used starving himself as a tool to hurt himself sometimes. If not for Steve, he imagined he would barely have eaten since he woke up from the Mind Flayer's attack.

Max was still staring at him, brows furrowed. He inched back, wincing momentarily then hid the emotions behind a blank stare. "Anything wrong with it, Mayfield?"

"No, no, Billy, I just- uh- no, sorry, it's fine. I didn't meant t-"

"Shit. Sorry. Scared you there, didn't I?" She just replied with a forced laugh, stretching her hand out for her skateboard. He gave it to her with a forced laugh of his own, biting his lip as she went off. Idiot idiot idiot. I was such a pathetic human being. Only a weak man would go after others just to feel better about himself. I'm surprised she agreed to live with me at all, I can hardly stand myself. Why couldn't I just do better for her? Be better?

He rained curses on his past self, then stopped, remembering he could still do something about this. Maybe she didn't trust him, maybe she was still afraid of him but he wasn't her only family. Her mother was his best hope of making her feel better and he wasn't going to force her to be around him any more than she had to. A quick call to Alex and he knew exactly where they were keeping her.

Max's mother was a sight. He stared at the cloth wrapped round her forearms, flinching when he remembered it was his father that had caused that. His horrible, abusive father that he never quite found the balls to report. It was too late now, though. Without him there to face the brunt of the abuse, Neil Hargrove just had to find some other way, didn't he? This is what his own blood was capable of. What he was, too. He stumbled a bit when he realised she was looking right at him through hooded eyes, moving closer slowly while she subconsciously drew into herself.

"Umm... Ma'am, I... I'm so sorry about all of this."

"It... It isn't your fault, Billy. Don't you dare apologise. I should. I let that man hurt you so much. I knew and I said nothing. I... Deserve this. I just... Is he... Okay?"