secluded | harringrove

03

Chapter 03- the first morning.

Billy felt all of the air leave his lungs and he tried, he tried really hard to breathe but he just couldn't.

He clawed at his throat but nothing.

Through his blurry, teary vision he saw Max. Her eyes worried as she burst into the bathroom.

How could he have let it get this bad?

—

Billy's eyes fluttered open. They were warm from the sun shining onto his eyelids.

He turned his head towards the kitchen from where he laid on the couch, and felt his body immediately get warm when he saw Steve.

Steve who was crouched down in middle of the kitchen, cursing to himself as he picked up pieces of a broken mug from the ground.

"Are you an idiot?" He let the words slip out of his mouth without much thought, his voice groggy and tired from sleep.

Steve looked up at him with a scowl, "Are you?" He responded, his tone annoyed.

"What your hands don't work or some shit? I'm trying to sleep. Your ruckus woke me up." Billy lied. Steve didn't need to know that though.

"My hands fucking work, alright."

"Well then act like it."

Steve sighed, exasperated. He picked up the broken ceramic and threw it in the trash.

It was the morning after their first night at the cabin. Steve was still very much upset at the fact that he was abandoned here with Billy Hargrove(the man he hates) but he chose to be the bigger person here.

He had barricaded himself in the one bedroom last night and slept on the one bed after he and Billy had something to eat. Billy had banged on the door, demanding Steve open the door but Steve ignored him.

At the thought of last night, a shiver ran down Steve's spine. The awkward atmosphere that he had to endure while he sat across from Billy was god awful.

Steve was going to be the bigger person.

"Do you want something to eat?" He asked as calmly as he could. He didn't wait for a response before he started rummaging through the fridge.

"What? Just cause we agreed to be civil you gonna turn all domestic on me?" Billy mocked, a cigarette already tucked in between his lips. "That's a joke, considering—"

"I'm not doing this for you, asshole, I'm doing this for my friends who want me and you to get along, so I'm trying!"

With an odd feeling in his chest, Billy rolled his eyes, "Yeah whatever," He got up from the couch and walked out of the cabin onto the porch.

Steve wasn't sure how this was going to work.

—

Billy came back in 30 minutes later. His cheeks were a blazing red and so were his ears and nose.

Steve could hear him cursing the cold before he slammed the door of the cabin shut.

With an odd feeling in his stomach, Steve looked away from Billy completely. The man's glassy eyes and flushed face made him feel odd. He didn't like that feeling at all.

His clothes smelled of cigarettes and when he walked past Steve into the bathroom, the smell trailed behind him.

The bathroom in the cabin was virtually privacy-less. There was no door just a sheer curtain.

Steve really tried not to. He did but he couldn't help but glance at the bathroom entrance when he heard the shower start running. Billy had pulled the curtain almost all the way shut, but there was a sliver that was open and Steve could see Billy in there.

Just as quickly as his eyes glanced at the doorway, he was looking away and getting up to go hide in the bedroom.

The odd feeling in his stomach only intensified.

And as Steve sat on the edge of the bed, listing to the shower spray, a thought came to mind.

A memory.

And the feeling was even worse.

Steve had been so distracted by this memory that he didn't hear the shower stopping or the heavy footsteps approaching the door.

And before he could react, Billy was inside of the bedroom. Naked and wet.

He averted his gaze, "You're fucking disgusting." He mumbled, "Couldn't you use a towel or some shit?"

Billy chuckled as he walked towards the wardrobe in the bedroom. He pulled it open and laughed in annoyance.

"Those bastards, they even stole my clothes to put in here." He grumbled, and got dressed.

"I'm sleeping here later tonight." Billy said matter-of-factly, strolling towards the bed and plopping down on it.

"What no!" Steve argued back, "The bed is mine."

"We could just both sleep on it." Billy grumbled. And Steve hated that suggestion, he hated it because it made his body warm.

The memory coming back to his immediate train of thought.

"Fuck no, I'll just sleep on the couch then."

Billy shrugged, "Suit yourself, pretty."

Billy got comfortable on the bed and Steve got off of it. He really wasn't sure if he could do this. He scowled down at Billy in annoyance as the man let out a relaxed groan.

Fuck. Steve needed it to be the fourth day already.